Emergence (1)
by ArtisticNinja
Summary: Every journey begins with a first step, and every legend has a beginning. Four seemingly ordinary teenagers have come together, united in the shared task of becoming their homeland's protectors and guardians. As they step into their new roles and prepare to confront the darkness that threatens to overtake their peaceful island, they will face many obstacles and tests along the way.
1. extended summary and series summary

[[ emergence - (noun) - definition: the process of coming into view or becoming exposed after being concealed ]] Every journey begins with a first step, and every legend has a beginning. Four seemingly ordinary teenagers have come together, united in the shared task of becoming their homeland's protectors and guardians. As they step into their new roles and prepare to confront the darkness that threatens to overtake their peaceful island, they will face many obstacles and tests, uncover long-lost secrets and find their true potentials as they begin an adventure much greater than they could have ever dreamed of. For these four emerging heroes and the small group of close friends that they now call family, their journey is only just beginning. [[ book one of a ninjago fanfiction series that begins before the pilot episodes and ends sometime after season ten ]]

/…/

The island of Ninjago is threatened by darkness.

Many foes will rise, all with ambitions to destroy the peaceful land and cause the balance of good and evil to be altered.

The darkness may triumph for a time, but light will always rise to defeat it.

Seven ninja will come to the aid of their homeland, and they will not be alone.

They will have many friends and allies.

Their friendship will be tested on many occasions, and they will fight many battles.

But they will stand together, and choose to fight destruction and darkness with creation and light.

/.../

_Hello everyone, and welcome to my Ninjago fanfiction! I'm super excited to share this with all of you, and I want to thank everyone for all of the support that I've gotten so far._

_Emergence is the first book of the Balance Of Light And Darkness Trilogy, and it will begin before the pilot episodes and continue throughout the series until sometime after season ten. It will mainly involve my Original Character, Lyla Brookstone and the other main characters from the Ninjago tv show._

_I've spent a lot of time working on a timeline for this, as well as working on developing the characters and storylines a little. This book may seem slow-paced compared to the tv show, because my goal is to spend time looking at how each of the characters change over the years. I want to focus on their personalities and relationships with the other characters that they encounter, and how they all grow and mature in different ways._

_I would like to say a huge thank-you to the close friends that I've made on Quotev, without them this book would not have been possible to write! I would also like to thank everyone that has given me feedback on this story, and everyone who has taken the time to read it. _

_If you enjoy the story, please leave a comment! I'm always happy to read them, and they really motivate me to continue. I would love to hear any thoughts or questions that you may have!_

_Thank you for reading this author's note, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story! _

_~ ArtisticNinja _


	2. prologue

_balance of light and darkness book one : emergence_

_prologue : there for each other_

_written by : artisticninja_

_words : 3,327_

_/.../_

Evelyn Brookstone sat with her two children on the grass outside their small home. The summer's sun was shining softly on the three of them as they sat together, laughing amongst themselves. Her son Cole was pointing out the different flowers that were growing around them, while his baby sister Lyla was sitting in her mother's lap, watching him with a smile.

Their father was away for the week, touring with his singing group, __The Royal Blacksmiths.__ Any day now he would be back with his family, but for now the Brookstone children had their mother all to themselves. Cole looked almost exactly like his father, he had the same black hair and chocolate brown eyes, while Lyla had crystal blue eyes and sandy blonde hair. Evelyn loved them both so much.

Though she missed Lou and was looking forward to his return, she was grateful for this chance to spend some time alone with her children. They were growing up so fast, and she knew that she wouldn't always be here to take care of them. A few years after Cole's birth she had been diagnosed with cancer, and though it wasn't life-threatening she knew that there was a possibility that one day she would have to say goodbye.

She'd given up her life as the elemental master of earth a long time ago, choosing to settle down and have a family. Though she sometimes missed her previous life, she didn't regret her decision. She loved both of her children, and they had a strong bond, one that seemed impossible that it could ever be broken. Lou spent time with his singing group occasionally, but it didn't interfere with his family life too seemed perfect right now. Both in life, and in the moment. Cole was picking daisies and putting them in Evelyn's hair, and she was trying to keep them away from Lyla. She made flower crowns for both of them, laughing at the different expressions on their faces. Cole was laughing too, and Lyla was trying to imitate her older brother. Evelyn pulled them both in for a gentle hug, a huge smile on her face.

/.../

Lyla skipped alongside her older brother Cole as they walked ahead of their father on the path. They were on the way to visit their mother in the hospital, and she was eager to see her again. Cole was trying to keep up with Lyla's cheerful skipping, an amused smile on his face. When she spotted some beautiful daisies beside the path she stopped, kneeling down to gently pick a few of them. Her brother helped her.

Lou followed behind his children at a slower face, his shoulders drooping as if he carried a great weight on his back. A frown was on his face, and his dark brown eyes were full of sadness. Cole and Lyla didn't understand, but this was likely the last day that they would see their mother. Only a week ago the cancer had suddenly become worse, and now Evelyn was dying. The doctors estimated that she only had a few days left.

He couldn't imagine life without her, his beloved wife. Evelyn had always been a rock for him. She cared more about others than about herself, often hiding her own emotions as she did her best to help them. She was kind and gentle, and she was a wonderful wife to him and a wonderful mother to their two children. He didn't want her to go, he loved her so much. Without Evelyn, everything would change.

Completely unaware of their father's internal torment, Cole and Lyla picked several flowers to give to their mother. After a glance behind them to make sure that their father was still coming, they kept going. They'd make this trip many times over the last week, and they knew the way to the hospital. Lyla asked Cole for a piggyback ride once her legs got tired, and he hoisted her up and onto his back with a smile.

Lyla giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding on as they continued their walk to the hospital. Cole carried her there, while their father continued to follow them at a slower pace. Once they got to the hospital they came into Evelyn's room, where she was laying on the bed with her eyes closed. Cole carefully set his sister down, and their mother smiled a little and opened her eyes, greeting them softly.

They handed her the flowers they'd brought, and her eyes glistened with tears as she thanked them both, kissing each of their foreheads. She told them that she loved them both so much, and that she was sorry that she had to leave them. She told them that they had so much potential, and that she knew they were going to do great things one day. That she loved them both and believed in them.

Then she gave them both a final hug, holding them close. Finally realizing what was happening, Cole and Lyla hugged her tightly, crying. Lou was crying too as he joined the hug, wrapping his arms around all of them. Tears slipped down Evelyn's cheeks as she hugged them back, lingering in the hug. The four of them stayed together like that for a long time, locked in their embrace as they said their final goodbyes.

/.../

Cole held Lyla in his arms as they watched several men from their village bury their mother's casket. Lou stood close beside them with a hand on Cole's shoulder, tears running down his face. Lyla sniffled and buried her face in her brother's shirt, clinging to him. Cole's body was shaking with sobs as he held his sister tightly. Most of the people in the small group gathered there were crying.

Lyla was too young to really understand completely what had happened. She just knew that her mother was gone, and that she wasn't coming back. She was scared and confused, and wanted her mother back more than anything in the world right now. She clung to Cole, seeking comfort in his embrace. They two of them had always had a very close relationship, and he reminded her a lot of their mother.

Lou had been heartbroken when Evelyn died. He didn't know if he could go on in life without her. He hadn't sung since before she had ended up in the hospital, and he hardly ever smiled. He hadn't been sleeping well which, caused him to feel even worse than he did already, and without even realizing it he had begun to distance himself from Cole and Lyla. They reminded him too much of Evelyn, and the life they had had before.

After they finished burying Evelyn, Cole walked over to her grave. He was still carrying Lyla, who was holding the flowers they'd brought. A simple bouquet of daisies and wildflowers that they had picked themselves. Cole gently set Lyla down by the gravestone, his eyes filling with fresh tears as he noticed her name on the stone that had been placed there. His sister carefully placed the bouquet on the freshly smoothed dirt.

As he looked around at the small crowd gathered there, for a moment Cole noticed someone standing at the edge of the group. It was an wise-looking old man with white robes, a hat, and a long white beard. He looked at Cole and nodded once, then turned and began to walk away. Lyla came back to Cole and he picked her up once more, holding her close. By the time he looked back again, the old man was gone.

/.../

A year passed after Evelyn's death. On the anniversary of that day, Lou was distant and sad. He spent a lot of the day away from the house, saying he'd be back later. Cole and Lyla found things to do to amuse themselves, and distract them from thinking about their mother. They hung out at the house together, picked flowers, and went for a walk later on in the day. Everything went okay, for the most part.

Cole felt sad and alone, and he missed his mother very much. But he bottled up his feelings, putting on a cheerful smile for Lyla and being there for her throughout the day. He kept the house running with her help, and even made a small dinner for them. Lou missed dinner and he didn't come home until later that evening. He appeared sad and worn out, but something was different. He was singing again.

He simply apologized for missing dinner and said he'd been up to some important things, like getting his singing group back together. They hadn't sung since before Evelyn died. As Lou talked he appeared happy, the sadness almost completely gone. He didn't seem to care about Evelyn's death, or even the kids, which angered Cole. He'd been alone with Lyla almost the whole day, while Lou was out with his singing group.

Cole wanted to yell at his father, and ask him why he didn't care about Evelyn's death. But he didn't. Instead he nodded along with what Lou said, putting on a smile but speaking as little as possible. He helped get Lyla to bed, then went to his own room and tried to sleep. He tossed and turned, the tears falling fast and hot onto his pillow. He felt as if his heart was being torn apart from the pain of missing his mother.

For a long time Cole just laid there, sobbing quietly. He felt so alone, and wished that his father would care. Not just about Evelyn's death, but about him and Lyla too. They needed him. More time passed, and as Cole's sobs started to get quieter, he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. He looked up, expecting to see his father. But it was Lyla that was standing there, looking up at him with wide eyes.

She said she'd heard him crying, and said that it made her sad too. Cole started to apologize, feeling like an awful older brother for letting her hear him cry, but Lyla shook her head. She said that it was okay to cry, and that she wasn't upset with him. Before he could protest she'd climbed up into the bed and was starting to pull his blankets up to cover him as she began to sing one of the songs their mother used to sing.

Though she was young and couldn't quite get the tune right, the familiar words comforted Cole. A few more tears fell, but he was strangely calm. He thanked Lyla and gave her a gentle hug. He didn't know what he did to deserve such a sweet, kind sister as her. Cole asked if she wanted to sleep in his bed tonight, and Lyla said yes. So he tucked her in beside him and laid down again, soon falling asleep.

In the morning when Cole woke up, Lyla was snuggled against him. That brought back memories of sleeping in bed with Evelyn when he had a nightmare. Cole smiled a little and gently wrapped an arm around Lyla. He had promised his mother that he was going to look out for her, and he planned to keep that promise. They didn't have much, but they had each other. That was all that mattered now.

/.../

Lyla sat at the kitchen table with her schoolwork, while Cole worked on dinner close by. He was supposed to be helping her, but instead of asking him questions she was chattering about random things. He listened to her talk about her plans for the day while he cut vegetables to eat with their dinner. A small smile appeared on his face as he listened to Lyla, adding in his own opinion every now and then.

Lou was off on another one of his trips with _The Royal Blacksmiths_, and he'd been gone for almost a week. It would be a while until he came back home. So Cole and Lyla were left alone at the house, taking care of themselves and keeping things running. In the years following Evelyn's death, that was almost a normal occurrence for the Brookstone children. But they were pretty much used to it now.

Cole and Lyla went to school a few days a week, and worked on their homework together once they finished their after school chores. Cole usually helped Lyla while he made dinner, then did his own schoolwork after she went to bed. He stayed up for hours finishing it, often sleeping very little because he had gotten stuck on something. Occasionally he asked the teacher for help, but he usually did it himself.

On the rare occasions when Lou was home and he wasn't busy or worn out, if he was in the right mood Cole would ask him for help. But he was getting older now, and his relationship with his father wasn't as stable as it used to be. Cole didn't ask his father for help with a lot of things, preferring to do them himself. It helped him to help Lyla better though, and he was grateful for that. She needed him.

They were closer than most siblings, because they had spent so much time together and looked out for each other. Cole didn't know what he would do without his sister. Lyla was one of the only things that kept him going, and gave him someone to love and care for. She reminded him a lot of their mother in some ways, and she'd always been there for him even when no one else was.

Lyla was now in the middle of a math problem that she'd been working on for a while, and getting frustrated because she was stuck on it. Cole was trying to cheer her up by changing the question up by substituting some of the words to make it funnier. It worked, and now Lyla was laughing, in between giggles asking him when in life she would ever need to divide groups of dragons and watermelons.

He just smiled and shook his head, then told her very seriously that watermelon counting was a good job that you could earn a lot of money doing. That only made her laugh more, and Cole found himself laughing along with her. He had to put the knife he was using down so he wouldn't cut himself in the middle of his laughing fit. Then Lyla was giggling and getting up from her chair to tackle him in a hug.

Cole grinned and hugged Lyla back, wrapping his arms around her tightly. She was almost as tall as he was now, she'd been growing a lot recently. A sad thought crossed Cole's mind, as he realized that they were both getting older now. One day they would both be adults, and have to find their own place in the world. When that time came, he knew that things might be even more difficult than they were now.

/.../

Many years had passed since Evelyn's death. Cole and Lyla were both older now, and their days of dividing dragons and watermelons had long passed. They didn't spend as much time playing and wrestling together, or goofing around. They were both busy with their studies and various activities, as well as keeping the house running smoothly. Their father was rarely home, which was very difficult for both of them.

Cole was practically a young man now. He was tall, and strong from his years of work at their home, as well as the rock climbing that he had begun to enjoy. Lyla was almost as old as he was, but in Cole's eyes she would always be his little sister. She had become good at doing the small housekeeping jobs around the house, and she loved music. She was smart and strong, and usually very cheerful.

They had both settled into somewhat of a consistent life with their school and chores. Their old cottage was getting more run down, but they didn't care. Between the two of them they kept it looking nice and in good shape. It gave them something to work on, and it reminded them of Evelyn and the life that they had had before. But suddenly, their lives were turned upside down.

Lou came home one day after a trip with his singing group, bringing with him pamphlets for a place called the_ Marty Oppenheimer School Of Performing Arts. _He told Cole and Lyla to take a look at them, saying that was the place where he had learned everything he did. They both read them, and said that it looked nice. They didn't realize that he was thinking of sending them there.

The next morning when they came down for breakfast, Lou said that he'd sent an application for them, and that they would be starting next week. Cole and Lyla were both shocked. They quickly protested, saying that they didn't want to leave and that there would be no one to take care of the house while they were gone. Lou said that he'd been planning to sell the house and move to Ninjago City for a long time.

He'd just been waiting until they were both old enough to go to the Marty Oppenheimer school. He said he knew that they both had musical abilities, and that they would both do well there. He said that he realized what an absent parent he'd been since their mother's death, and he wanted to make up for it in some way. Some changes would be good for them, and maybe they'd make some friends.

That night as Lyla tried to sleep, she tossed and turned in her bed as she listened to Cole and her father arguing. There was some shouting, and a lot of disagreement between the two. Lou was convinced that this was the best thing he could do for them, while Cole and Lyla both strongly did not want to go. But it was too late, and things had been set in motion that they couldn't undo.

Before they hardly realized what was happening, the day came when they had to pack their bags, and say goodbye to the place that they had lived all their life. Lou had found someone who was willing to buy their house, and he would be moving everything over to their new house in Ninjago City shortly after they got to school. He said that everything was working out quite well, but Cole and Lyla disagreed.

They took one last walk around the house, around their yard, and around their village. They stopped by Evelyn's tombstone to put a bouquet of fresh daisies on it, making a promise to come back and put flowers there whenever they could. Then it was time to get going, and Lou drove Cole and Lyla off to their new school. They were both silent in the back seat of the car, having cried all their tears earlier.

Then they were getting out at the _Marty Oppenheimer School Of Performing Arts. _Lou hugged them both and said goodbye, promising that he would write to them. Cole and Lyla said little more than goodbye, both of them too sad and upset to say much else. They watched their father drive away, and the two of them were left alone once more. This time in a strange new place, with their two suitcases and each other as their only hope of survival.

/.../

_Hello everyone, and welcome to my story! I've been hoping to write a Ninjago tv show fanfiction for a long time, and I'm super excited to be able to share this with all of you. Thank you all for clicking on this story, and for reading it so far. It's going to be an interesting journey for these characters, and I have so much planned for them! This story is dedicated to my closest friends on Quotev, without them I wouldn't be the person I am today. I'd like to thank everyone who's read this story so far, and I hope you're enjoying it! Please leave a review if you enjoyed the prologue, and if you have any thoughts or questions about it._

_~ ArtisticNinja_


	3. chapter one

_balance of light and darkness book one : emergence_

_chapter one : dance class and mountain climbing_

_written by : artisticninja_

_words : 3,063_

_/.../_

"Come on, Cole. We're going to be late for class." Lyla gently nudged her brother's arm, but he remained seated at the table and continued to pick at his food. They'd only been here at the __Marty Oppenheimer School Of Performing Arts __for a few days, and he still had the tendency to make them late for classes quite often. Especially if those classes were ones that he didn't enjoy, like dancing. Which they were about to take.

Cole sighed and rubbed a hand over his tired eyes and through his thick black hair, unknowingly messing it up a bit. "What if I don't want to go to class?" He questioned. "I'm sure that there are other, better things that we could be doing right now."

"You just don't want to go to dance class. I know you don't enjoy it, but like it or not it has become a part of our daily lives." Lyla frowned a little as she leaned over to her brother and began fixing his hair for him. He gave her a mildly annoyed look and pushed her hand away.

"Maybe I would like it if I wasn't such a failure at dancing." Cole felt his hair to see how badly she had messed it up, and seemed satisfied to discover that it was fine. "It's no exaggeration to say that I'm the worst dancer in the entire class. Maybe even the whole school."

"That's not true, Cole." Lyla replied almost immediately. Her brother gave her a dubious look, and she frowned a bit more. This wasn't the first time they'd had this conversation, and she knew it wouldn't be the last. "You may not be the best dancer, but you're certainly not the worst."

Cole just sighed in response. "That's easy for you to say, Lya. You're good at singing, and dancing, and acting, and pretty much everything. I'm not good at any of those things. The only things I'm good at are rock climbing and physical stuff. Not performing arts."

"There may be a lot that you think you're bad at, but there are lots of things that you _are _good at. You just need to realize that." Out of habit Lyla ran a hand through her hair, tugging at it lightly. She gave Cole an encouraging smile, hoping to cheer him up a bit.

If her words did cheer him up at all, Cole gave no indication of that. He just sort of shrugged, a faraway look in his dark brown eyes as he looked out the window. Lyla just shook her head and got up, gathering her stuff together. "I'm heading to class. Have fun without me."

Cole looked back at her, an amused smile on his face. "I'm coming with you, of course. I would die of boredom without your company."

Lyla chuckled, rolling her eyes dramatically. "Haha. You wouldn't last more than a few minutes without me."

"Oh I wouldn't, would I?" Cole playfully elbowed her as he got up from the table, grabbing his things. He had a smile on his face, but after a moment his expression changed to a more sad one. "Honestly Lya, I don't know what I'd do without you."

Hearing the serious tone of voice that her brother was using, Lyla looked up at him. "I don't know what I would do without you either, Cole." She said softly, once again reminded of how grateful she was to have a brother like him. "I'm glad we're here together."

"Yeah, me too." Cole gave her a gentle hug, and she hugged him back. When he let go and stepped back, he had a small smile on his face. "It's getting late. We should get to dance class."

Lyla smiled and resisted the urge to say 'I told you so' as the two of them headed off down the hall together.

/.../

After the dance class ended, Lyla went to grab her and Cole's things. He looked at her helplessly from across the room, and in return she gave him a look of sympathy. He was talking to the teacher, who had asked to speak to him after class, and she could imagine what they were talking about.

She felt bad for him. While she was nowhere near as good as her father, Lyla was a decent singer, and not too bad at the other subjects they taught here. Cole on the other hand just wasn't set out to be a performer of any kind, and he hated it when people thought he was.

Since they were both young, Lou had expressed hope that Cole would one day follow in his footsteps. He had tried sending Cole to voice lessons, to dance lessons, and various other lessons when he was younger. Not to mention the hours of time he had spent trying to teach Cole himself.

But Lyla knew that her brother wasn't like their father, however much he wished differently. Cole hadn't found his place in life yet, but they both knew that it wasn't here. It was someplace else, but he had no clue how to find it. Especially when they were stuck here at a performing arts school. He had talked about leaving several times, but hadn't actually been brave enough to do it.

Maybe one day they would. Evelyn had said that she believed in them, and that they had the potential to do great things. Lyla wished again that her mother was still here, and wondered how different things would be for them if she was still alive.

Cole's voice brought Lyla's mind back to the present, as he greeted her with drooping shoulders and a forced smile. She shook her head a little to clear her thoughts, smiling back at him. "Hey, Cole. How'd it go?" She greeted cheerfully as she offered him his things.

Her older brother just shrugged, grabbing his stuff from her outstretched hand. "Eh... not great." He admitted. "Mr. Evans isn't pleased with my skills. He says that he expected more from me, being the son of Lou Brookstone and all. Nothing new I guess."

Lyla nodded in understanding, but chose to try and lighten the mood. She gave Cole a gentle nudge with her elbow and smiled at him. "Come on, it's not that bad! You're not the worst dancer I've ever seen. Besides, the weekend starts tomorrow, which means that we won't have classes."

Cole sighed. "Almost everyone else will be going home with their parents and families, but we'll be stuck here..." He trailed off a little, then smiled a tiny bit. "But on the other hand, we can hang out together for a while without any responsibilities. It could be fun."

Lyla smiled back at him. "See, it won't be that bad. We can have fun, maybe play some games or take a walk together like we used to. There's plenty of things that we could do." When she looked at her brother he was staring out the window thoughtfully, a small smile on his face.

"Maybe I'll go mountain climbing, I haven't had the chance to do that in a while." Cole said after a moment, sounding more excited then she'd heard him for a while. "The tallest mountain in Ninjago isn't too far away from here, and I've always wanted to climb it. Maybe I finally will tomorrow."

Part of Lyla wanted to protest immediately. She knew that it could be dangerous, and that she couldn't go with him. She also had no desire to be left alone at school without her brother. But Cole was strong, she knew he would be okay. She would be fine without him for a few hours.

Mountain climbing was something he loved, and something he was good at. She wanted to support him through this difficult time in their lives, and was hopeful that it might be good for him to get away from the school for a while. But would he come back?

Of course he would, he wouldn't leave her here. He'd promised to look out for her, and Lyla knew that he would keep his promise. So she pushed away all the thoughts and worries she had about it, and gave him a smile. "That sounds like a great idea, Cole. I think you should give it a try."

Cole looked at her with a smile of barely contained happiness. "Really? I wasn't sure if you would be okay by yourself, and I feel bad leaving you here alone. But if you're sure that you're okay with it, I think I will! It's something that I've wanted to do for a long time."

"I'll be fine here, I promise. Just be sure that you aren't gone the whole day, and that we can at least go for a walk later," Lyla replied.

"Of course! I'm probably going to leave early in the morning so I can get there as soon as possible. I'm not sure how long I'll be gone, but I promise that we can go for a walk when I get back." Cole smiled happily and gave her a hug. "Thanks so much, Lya!"

Happy to see him in a better mood, Lyla hugged him back with a smile. "Of course. I'm glad that you have the opportunity to do it."

Cole was about to say something in reply, but Mr. Evans cleared his throat. When Lyla looked over at the corner where he was cleaning up his stuff, she realized that they were the only ones left in the room. She and Cole awkwardly grabbed their stuff again, apologizing as they headed out.

Once they were out in the hallway, Cole turned to Lyla. "Sorry, I guess I got a little carried away. I didn't realize everyone had left."

"It's alright, I didn't either." Lyla replied as she continued walking. "We probably need to get ready for our next class, though."

"Right. I'll start thinking about the stuff I need for tomorrow, and I'll pack it later tonight. I think I'm going to leave before sunrise, I want to get back here as soon as possible. It depends on how long it takes me to climb, and how long it takes to get to the mountain and back."

Lyla smiled a little. "Sounds good. I'll probably be asleep, you don't have to wake me up."

"We'll see about that." Cole said with a playful grin. "Don't you want to say goodbye to your older brother?"

"Of course I do, just not before sunrise," Lyla replied. "I'm happy that you get to go, but I'd like to get a good amount of sleep."

Cole laughed softly. "That's understandable. Maybe I'll just leave you a note instead."

"A note would be wonderful." Lyla was going to say more, but the bell rang to signal the beginning of the next few classes. They were going to be late again if they didn't hurry. She suggested that they keep talking later, and get to class. So they did.

/.../

Long before sunrise the next morning, Cole was awake. He gathered the few things that he was planning to bring along, grabbing his notes for Lyla and one of the teachers. Then he walked quietly down the hallway. It was pretty quiet right now, and it was quite peaceful in the school.

He left his note for Lyla in the place he'd told her to look for it, and headed off. He'd cleared his short trip with the teachers, and he just needed to leave them a note saying what time he left and when he hoped he would be back. Once that was done, he walked outside.

It was still dark outside, and the grass was wet and cold with dew. The air was fresh and cool compared to the air inside the school, and Cole felt refreshed and energized. He began walking down the path and toward the nearby village, where he was hoping to catch a bus.

He walked for a long time, eventually arriving at the village shortly before sunrise. It was busy and noisy compared to his peaceful walk here, but because it was the weekend it wasn't as busy as it usually was. Thankfully, he was able to find a bus, and soon he was on his way again.

As the bus came to a stop at the next village, Cole hopped out with an excited look on his face. He could see the mountain just outside the village, rising from the earth in all of its beauty and splendor. He couldn't wait. It was going to be challenging, but it would be worth it.

Cole began walking to the mountain with a small smile. When he got there he set his bag down by a small cluster of rocks, then faced the mountain and began to climb. As he climbed he remembered how much he loved doing it, and realized that it had been a while since he'd climbed anything.

He was strong and fit, so climbing this mountain wasn't as difficult for him as it would be for some people. Cole enjoyed the challenge. He enjoyed the time to himself, and he was able to think through all the things that had happened to him in the last few weeks.

As he climbed he thought about his mother's death, and how his father still didn't really seem to care, even after all this time. It angered Cole. He and Lyla had taken care of each other and the house after their mother's death, while there father was off singing and dancing.

Even though he did his best not to let it show, Cole was still very much hurt by the loss of his mother, and he wished that she were still here for him and Lyla. Maybe things would be better for them if she hadn't died. Maybe they wouldn't be stuck at a performing arts school.

Since he was young Cole had known that he wasn't ever going to be a dancer or singer like his father. Lyla was decently good at those things, maybe she would be one day. But Cole wasn't. He hated being stuck at school here, and wished that he could just run away.

But he didn't want to leave his sister, so he chose to stay and suffer in silence. Lyla was one of the only things that kept him still going, and he didn't know what he'd do without her. Even though she was younger than him, she'd always been mature. He loved her so much.

They'd been there for each other all of their lives, and Cole hoped that they would be for a long time. He was very grateful to have a sister like her, and it made the burden of being stuck in a place that he hated easier to bear. They would work through this together.

As Cole continued to climb the mountain he was left alone with only his thoughts. Unlike some people, he didn't mind the solitude. It was peaceful out here. He'd always felt connected to the earth somehow, and he loved having something to do to keep his mind off of things.

He stopped occasionally to catch his breath, but for the most part he kept going without stopping. Cole had a lot to think about, and his thoughts kept him busy as he climbed. He was unaware how much time had passed, but before he knew it he had reached the top at last.

With a triumphant smile Cole pulled himself up, imagining that he was leaving all his sad past and memories at the bottom of this tall mountain. He felt truly happy for the first time in a long time, and felt like he had conquered a seemingly impossible task.

But when he stood up to examine the view, he was shocked to discover an old man sitting there next to a fire, drinking tea with a peaceful look on his face. He wore white robes and a hat, and had a long white beard. There was something almost familiar about him.

Cole's mind was filled with questions, but before he could ask them the old man looked up at him with a smile. "Hello there."

"How did you..." Cole began, then stopped. He felt like he'd seen this man somewhere. "Who are you?"

The older man took another sip of his tea before he answered. "Maybe that is a question for me to ask."

Then he looked up at Cole curiously. "But first, why do you climb the mountain?"

For a moment Cole was unsure how to reply. He looked down for a moment, then looked back at the older man.

"I just... lost someone." He admitted. "My father should be sad, or angry, but he's just, he's..."

"Yes?" The man asked softly, giving him a kind look. For some reason, Cole was sure that he could tell this man anything. Before he even realized what he was saying he was explaining what was on his heart to the older man, things he'd only ever said to Lyla.

"He spends all his time with his group singing and dancing. He's never home, leaving all the chores for us. With her gone, I guess it's up to me to be the responsible one. He acts like nothing's happened. How can he sing and dance at a time like this?!"

The older man sighed softly, glancing down. "Grief takes may shapes and forms. Some sing and dance, and some climb mountains."

Cole looked around for a moment, then looked back at him. "Why did you climb the mountain?"

The man looked at him with a small smile. "To find you, Cole."

/.../

_What did you all think of the first chapter? I've enjoyed writing about Cole and Lyla's sibling relationship so far, and I'm looking forward to having them meet the rest of the ninja later on. I've done a lot of planning for this story, and it's going to be a pretty crazy journey! This book is the first in my Ninjago trilogy that begins before the pilot episodes, and will end after season ten. I have a lot of stuff planned for the characters, and I'm super excited to watch my OC Lyla and the rest of the ninja grow and mature in many ways throughout the upcoming years. Thank you all for reading so far, and I'd like to say an extra thank you to everyone who has given me feedback. Please leave a review if you enjoyed the first chapter, and if you have any hopes or predictions for the rest of the story._

_~ ArtisticNinja_


	4. chapter two

_balance of light and darkness book one : emergence_

_chapter two : the adventure begins_

_written by : artisticninja_

_words : 3,042_

_/.../_

Cole wasn't prepared for the older man's response, and he was caught off guard. "To find me?" He found himself saying. What could this strange man possibly want with him? Should he be concerned? But then the man looked at Cole, an amused twinkle in his gentle blue eyes, and suddenly Cole knew where he'd seen him before. He was the man who had been at his mother's funeral.

"Yes, Cole." The man replied, before taking another sip of his tea. "I climbed the mountain today so I could find you. You have great potential, and the skills and qualities that I'm looking for in a student."

Now Cole was even more confused then he'd been a moment ago. The man's answer to his question didn't really provide an answer to Cole, it just caused more questions to form in his mind. "A student?" He asked. "What kind of teacher are you?"

The old man set his cup down beside the small fire and stood up with a smile. "Of course, I've forgotten to introduce myself. I am a ninja master, and one of the very few of the original Elemental Masters left. I'm not as young as I used to be, and have decided that it is time to finally pass on some of my skills to a new generation of ninja. You can call me Sensei Wu."

Cole blinked once, then stared at the man in disbelief. "You're a ninja master? My mom used to tell us stories of the ninja that once fought to preserve our peaceful land, but I always wondered if those things actually happened. Are you really saying that everything she told me was true, and that I have the potential to be a ninja?" None of it made sense to him. How could it be true?

Sensei Wu smiled a little more. "You are correct, Cole. You've been given a great gift, yet you lack someone who will be able to teach you, and train you to become a ninja. I am willing to be your teacher, and to give you the chance to discover your true potential. I cannot promise that it will be easy, but the results will be rewarding. What do you say?"

Cole had no idea what to think, but what surprised him most was the fact that he wanted to do this. He trusted this strange old man for some reason, and wondered if perhaps this was what he was supposed to do. Maybe he was meant to be a ninja, and not a performer like his father.

The idea of being a ninja seemed, _right _to Cole. He couldn't explain why, but it was a strong feeling that this was the right thing to do. This could be his way of getting out of the _Marty Oppenheimer School of Performing Arts_, and to actually do something useful. And maybe help people.

He could leave the school and go with this man, even if it would be difficult he would be free of performing arts, and free to discover his true potential. Cole was about to say yes, when he remembered his sister. His heart sank, and he realized that he couldn't just leave Lyla here alone. He had to look out for her, like he'd promised their mother. They had to stay together.

Sensei Wu noticed Cole's hesitation, and the small frown that had appeared on his face. "Is there something troubling you?" He asked gently.

Cole looked at him once more, sighing quietly. "Being a ninja sounds great, but I can't leave my sister alone. I promised my mother I would look out for her, and she's one of the only family members I have left. She needs me, and I need her."

Sensei Wu just smiled, gathering together his things as he put out the fire. "I was wondering when you would mention your sister. She is more than welcome to come with you, in fact I would encourage it. You both have a part to play in this, one bigger than even I can see."

A relived smile appeared on Cole's face, and he was almost completely positive that Lyla would agree. "Thank you, Sensei Wu." He said, giving the older man a polite nod. "I'll talk to her about it, and we'll leave as soon as possible. Where can we meet you?"

"Here is fine." Sensei Wu said with a smile, after a moment of thought. "Preferably at the bottom of the mountain, rather than at the top." Cole chuckled softly, looking around as he was reminded of where they were. It was actually quite high up.

He then looked back at Sensei Wu, a question coming to his mind. "When do you want us to meet you there?"

"I will be here at this time tomorrow morning, and the day after that. I'm sure that you will find a way to get here at either one of those times." Sensei Wu responded. "Bring whatever you need, but pack lightly. Once we meet up, I will take you to my monastery to begin training."

"Sounds great, thank you. We'll be here as soon as we can." Cole said, looking out at the village below them, a small smile on his face as he began to plan what he would bring. The sooner they could leave, the better. He turned back to ask Sensei Wu one more thing, only to find that he was gone, the coals and ashes of the fire the only indication that he'd ever been there in the first place.

/.../

Lyla was sitting by herself at the table in the cafeteria, drawing. She'd eaten lunch a while ago, and was just enjoying some time to herself at the moment. It was fairly quiet in the room, which was nice. Most of the other people ignored her and Cole most of the time.

It had been different spending the day without her brother. She'd realized just how much time they spent together during the day, and how much time they'd spent together over the last few years. She'd found things to do by herself, but felt a little lonely without him around.

She was focused on her drawing and had blocked everything else out, so she didn't realize that Cole had returned until he tapped her on the shoulder. She jumped in surprise, her pencil scratching roughly on the paper and leaving a dark black line that would be almost impossible to erase.

Lyla looked behind her, relived to see that it was just her brother. "Cole, you can't sneak up on me like that." She admonished softly, doing her best to keep the irritation out of her voice.

"Sorry, Lya. I didn't mean to ruin your drawing." Cole said as he gave her an apologetic look. There was something about the tone of voice he was using that caught her interest, he sounded excited about something.

Lyla gave him a curious look, but before she could ask what was on his mind, he was already talking. "I just learned something really important. Can I talk to you for a minute? Somewhere quiet?" He asked.

"Sure, we can find an empty classroom or something." Lyla said as she stood up, gathering her things together and slipping them into her backpack. Cole watched her, with what looked like an impatient look on his face.

Lyla wasn't sure whether to be amused, or worried. Her brother didn't get inpatient very often, especially with her. This must be important.

Finally Lyla had everything packed, and she began to follow Cole as he led the way down the hallway. He was still wearing his clothes from earlier and carrying his bag, which meant that he'd only gotten here a moment ago, and come to find her as soon as he did.

Lyla had no idea what he could have discovered while mountain climbing, but she knew that she was about to find out. The two of them found an empty classroom, and Cole practically dragged her into it. Once they were inside, Lyla looked at her brother curiously.

"What did you learn while mountain climbing that could be this urgent to tell me about?" She questioned.

Cole sat down on one of the desks, running a hand through his hair as he chuckled to himself. Lyla waited, arms crossed comfortably as she sat on one nearby her brother. He cleared his throat, then looked at her. "Do you remember the stories that Mom used to tell us, about the ninja?"

Lyla tilted her head, studying Cole for a moment. "Yes, I remember." Talking about stories their mother told them years ago seemed like an odd way to start the conversation, and she didn't see how they could relate to whatever he was going to tell her.

But her brother didn't seem to notice her confusion, and just continued talking. "They really are true. You're not going to believe this, but when I reached the top of the mountain there was an old man just sitting up there drinking tea, and he introduced himself as a ninja master named Sensei Wu. It turns out, he's one of the only Elemental Masters left, and wants to pass on his skills."

Lyla was more confused now then she had been moments ago. "That's great, Cole, but what does that have to do with you? Why are you telling me this?" She had no idea what the old man her brother was telling her about could have been doing up there in the first place.

Cole just smiled at her. "Apparently, I have the potential to become a ninja. He wants to make me his student, he has a monastery not too far away from here where I can learn everything I need to know. And you're welcome to come, too."

Lyla blinked, and time seemed to slow down as she took a moment to process everything she'd just heard.

Something told her that Cole wasn't lying, and that the old man wasn't either. It seemed almost like it was right for her brother to become a ninja, but she had no idea how that would work logistically. Cole seemed confident that this would work, and he seemed pleased with the discovery of him having the potential to become a ninja. But it sounded like he was implying that they'd have to leave the school.

"So, what do you think?" Cole's eager voice broke into Lyla's thoughts, and she tried not to smile at how childishly excited he sounded. If they really did need to leave the school, they weren't going to be able to just walk out of the building. They would need a plan.

"Are you actually considering this? Do you think it would work?" She asked her brother.

Cole looked surprised for a moment, before he smiled again. "I wasn't sure what you would think, so I don't really have a plan or anything yet. But you don't seem to completely hate the idea, so that's a first step."

Lyla chuckled in spite of herself. "Yes, I suppose you're right. But we'll need to have a plan if you actually decide to go through with this."

"If _we _decide to go through with this. I want to do it, but I'm not leaving without you, Lya."

Her heart tightened when she heard her brother's words. She hadn't thought about what things would be like if he wasn't here with her, like he'd always been. She wanted to stay with her brother, whether that meant staying here at the school they both hated, or going off to some faraway monastery as he trained to become a ninja. If they did decide to go, it would be difficult. But they would find a way.

/.../

The Brookstone siblings were awake long before the sun rose the next morning. Lyla stumbled out of bed and grabbed her bag before she quietly left the room. She'd gone to sleep wearing the clothes she would need today, to save time. The hallway was dark and quiet as she headed to the meeting place she and Cole had agreed on earlier, by one the back doors.

When she got to the door Cole was already waiting there, fully dressed with his bag slung over his shoulder. He jumped when he saw her, startled, but relaxed when he saw who it was. In his hand he held the note they'd written, as well as the key he'd borrowed that should unlock the back door and let them slip out of the school building without alerting anyone.

Lyla was suddenly nervous again, and she wondered if they were doing the right thing. She and Cole had talked about it for a long time this afternoon and formed a plan, but now that they were actually doing it, it almost didn't seem right. She was worried that they would get caught, and part of her was worried about what their father would say. But there was no turning back now.

"You ready?" Cole asked, gently putting a hand on her shoulder. He looked nervous too, which caused her to smile a little.

"As ready as I'm going to be. Let's go before I change my mind." Lyla replied, resting a hand on his shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze.

Cole smiled and pulled her in for a quick hug, before he turned to the door. They both held their breath, waiting as he inserted the key into the lock carefully. There was a small, barely audible _click, _then Cole turned the knob and opened the door.

They both released the breath they'd been holding, turning to each other with a relived smile. Fresh, cool air drifted into the room from outside. They were one step closer to freedom.

"Come on, let's get going." Cole said as he took the note, placing it on the nearby table with the adjusted the weight of his bag to the other shoulder, then turned to Lyla.

She smiled at her brother, though her heart was beating nervously in her chest. "Let's go." She said softly, then took a deep breath as she began to lead the way outside.

Cole followed her, stopping to close the door carefully. Then he quickened his pace to walk beside Lyla, a relived smile on his face. "We made it."

Lyla smiled, taking one last look back at the school before she looked at her brother. "It's not over yet, but we've made a pretty good start." She was ready to leave their past behind, and was looking forward to a brighter future.

Cole nodded with a smile, reaching out to hold her hand. Lyla didn't object, and the two runaways began their journey, leaving the school and their old life behind them as they took the first steps of the adventure that was just beginning for them both.

/.../

When they arrived at the mountain, the sun was high overhead. They'd been out for what felt like a long time, and were getting tired. Lyla was still worried that they would end up getting caught, and with that thought in mind she had pushed on. They'd stopped once to eat a quick lunch, but that was it. They'd pressed on until they reached the mountain, and Lyla was surprised to see that Sensei Wu was already there.

He was sitting at the foot of the mountain, a small smile on his face as he bent over a cup of tea. "I've been waiting for you." He said softly, without looking up at them. For a moment, Lyla was unsure what to do. But Cole walked over to the older man, and she quickly followed her brother. Sensei Wu finally looked up at them, and his blue eyes almost seemed to sparkle in the sunlight.

He gave them a kind smile, and Lyla instantly felt safe with him. "Hello." Cole greeted, staying by his sister's side as they came to a stop in front of Sensei Wu. Lyla echoed her brother's words, trying not to look as nervous as she felt.

She noticed that the older man seemed to be studying her, a thoughtful look on his face. "You must be Lyla." He said softly, then he smiled once more. "You can call me Sensei Wu, It's nice to meet you at last."

"It's nice to meet you too." Lyla replied, smiling back at him. She had so many questions that she wanted to ask, but assumed that they needed to get going before it got any later. There would be plenty of time to ask questions later on.

Sensei Wu simply nodded, straightening up as he tidied the few things he'd brought with him. He grabbed a bamboo staff from somewhere nearby, and turned to the Brookstone siblings. "Come, it's time to head to the monastery. We will talk on the way there."

As he began walking, Cole and Lyla followed after him. The journey didn't take too long, and the time passed quickly as the three travelers talked. Eventually they reached their destination, a peaceful looking monastery on top of a small hill. There were hundreds of stone steps that lead up to it, which they climbed without complaint. Once they reached the top, Sensei Wu opened the doors and led them in with a smile.

"Today I will simply be showing you both around, and helping you get adjusted to things here. I'm sure that you will be quite comfortable, and it will become a home for you eventually." Sensei Wu said, once they were all inside and the doors had been closed once more.

Then he turned to Cole with a small smile. "Your training will begin first thing tomorrow morning."

/.../

_Thank you all for reading so far! Lyla and Cole are finally setting off on their adventure, and things are only going to get more crazy from this point on. If you don't already know, this story is also on Quotev. I'm publishing a new chapter there about once every two weeks, so if you'd like to read this there feel free to. I appreciate all the support I've gotten for this story so far, and it means a lot that people are even reading this. When I first started writing Emergence, I wasn't sure if anyone would even read it. I know there will be a lot of chapters that don't have much action in them and seem more like filler chapters, but most of them actually do serve a purpose. My goal is to explore the different personalities and relationships that each ninja have, over the several years of their life that the tv covers. Thank you all for staying with me so far, I couldn't do this without you! Please leave a review if you enjoyed the chapter, or if you have any thoughts or hopes for it._

_~ ArtisticNinja_


	5. chapter three

_balance of light and darkness book one : emergence_

_chapter three : the first day and the first lesson_

_written by : artisticninja_

_words : 2,742_

_/.../_

As the sun began to set beyond the nearby mountains, it bathed the monastery in its gentle orange light. A few sunbeams made their way through the window and into the kitchen, where Cole and Lyla were hanging out together. After giving them their tour, Sensei Wu had gone to his room to meditate, and gave them permission to make themselves something to eat.

After living at the _Marty Oppenheimer School of Performing Arts _for the last few days, Lyla realized just how much she had missed the quiet and peacefulness that was rare to find in a building filled with hundreds of students. She was grateful to have the chance to be here at the monastery, and felt that they were beginning to settle into their new home well.

Once they had reached the monastery kitchen Lyla made a mental inventory of what was in stock, before she began to get things ready for a meal. Cole settled into his normal place beside the stove, leaning against one of the walls as he watched his sister cook. He didn't get in her way, and she was surprised by how normal this felt.

It hadn't been that long since they'd been back at their house on a night like this, her cooking dinner and him keeping her company as they talked together about their day. She'd missed it so much. It was nice to be settling back into some semblance of their former routines, after their lives had been turned upside down unexpectedly. But things were better now.

"So, how much longer until the food will be ready?" Cole's question pulled Lyla out of her thoughts and back to the present. A small smile appeared on her face as she looked up from the soup she was stirring, turning to glance at her brother in amusement.

"Five minutes less than the last time you asked me." Lyla responded with a chuckle. Cole loved food, and seemed to almost always be hungry. The funny thing was, he was one of the worst cooks that she knew. She'd learned to cook from a very young age, and the thought of being able to eat something besides her brother's food could have been the only inspiration she needed to learn.

Cole smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked over at her. "Sorry, I guess I'm just pretty hungry. I guess I'm a little worn out from all the traveling and stuff we did earlier. Plus, we've been up since before sunrise."

"It's been a long day." Lyla hunted around in the silverware drawer, eventually finding a spoon. She dipped it into the soup before carefully passing it to her brother for him to taste. Cole accepted the spoon, not even bothering to wait for it to cool before he put it into his mouth.

Immediately he winced, his eyes shutting for a moment as the hot broth stung his tongue and throat. "It's good..." Cole managed to mumble, a pained expression on his face. Lyla laughed softly despite herself, and he gave her a look of indignation.

"That stuff is pretty hot. You could have at least warned me." He didn't sound mad though, perhaps mildly amused at his own actions.

Lyla smiled as she grabbed another spoon and put a small bit of soup onto it, being sure to blow on it carefully and wait for a moment before she tried any. "Maybe I would have warned you if you'd given me time to. You just stuck the spoon in your mouth as soon as I gave it to you."

Cole chuckled softly, stepping around Lyla to put his spoon beside the sink. "What can I say? I love your cooking."

Lyla smiled at the compliment, thanking her brother as she began grabbing several bowls from one of the cupboards. She set them down on the small wooden table that was near the window, and turned back to the stove to give the soup a final stir. "I think we're ready to eat."

Cole hummed in approval at her announcement, and carried the bowls back over to the stove. "Do you think Sensei Wu will be joining us?" He questioned, his thoughts wandering to the ninja master. Lyla just shrugged one shoulder in response.

"I'm not really sure, but I did set a place at the table for him." She replied, beginning to ladle the soup into her bowl. Cole was waiting behind her, and when Lyla had finished he ladled a generous helping of soup into his own bowl before he sat down beside her at the table.

For a moment things were quiet, as the two siblings began eating. A comfortable silence settled between them, which was only broken as Sensei Wu walked into the kitchen. He greeted the Brookstone siblings with a cheerful hello, thanking Lyla for dinner before he sat down to eat with them. They talked a little during the meal but for the most part they were silent, just enjoying each other's company. It was hard to tell who was enjoying it more.

/.../

Lyla settled into her bed with a small sigh, closing her eyes. She could hear Cole shifting in his bed nearby, his movements one of the only sounds that could be heard. There was a soft breeze blowing, and crickets could be heard outside. All the sounds combined were soothing, and reminded Lyla of their home. She was pretty tired after a long day, and knew it wouldn't be long before she fell asleep.

As Lyla changed positions to lay on her side, she could still hear Cole shifting in his bed. He sounded restless. So she went back to laying on her other side, looking out into the darkness to see if she could see her brother resting in his bed on the other side of the room.

"Cole? Are you alright?" Lyla asked softly. "It's getting late and you have training tomorrow, you should try to get some sleep."

Her brother sighed, looking up at the ceiling. "I'm tired, but I just can't seem to fall asleep." He admitted. "I think I'm nervous about training tomorrow, but I'm not even sure why. I don't think it'll be that bad, and Sensei Wu seems like he'll be a good teacher."

Lyla nodded, understanding. "I'm sure you'll do fine. Sensei Wu seems to think so, and I know that you will. Besides, we've come all this way. We can't turn back now, and I know for sure that you'd rather be here then stuck at a performing arts school."

Cole smiled a little, even though she couldn't see it in the darkness. "I guess you're right. To be honest, I'm still kind of surprised that we were able to leave the school and come here, even though I only told you about it yesterday. It seems like it's been longer than that, I guess I'm still kind of in shock. Thank you for being willing to come with me, especially on such short notice. It means a lot."

"I wouldn't just let you go by yourself. You're my brother, and I want to stay with you. No matter what." Lyla said with a smile.

"Thanks, Lya." Cole replied softly. "I'm planning to stay with you, too. We've looked out for each other for so long, and I'm grateful for that. I wouldn't have been able to get through everything if it hadn't been for you. Honestly."

"I wouldn't have been able to get through things without you, either. I'm thankful to have you as my older brother." Lyla said, before she sighed quietly. "As much as I would love to keep talking, we really should get some sleep. Don't worry about training tomorrow, I know you'll do great."

Cole smiled once more, rolling onto his side. "Thanks. Goodnight, Lya. Sleep well."

"Goodnight, Cole." Lyla replied. She closed her eyes once more, yawning softly. A few minutes later, both of them had fallen asleep. They slept better than they had in a long time, and when they woke up early the next morning they were refreshed and ready for the day.

/.../

Cole woke up early the next morning, so that he would be awake and ready to train whenever Sensei Wu was ready. He and Lyla both got up and headed off to find something to eat. They were having a small breakfast in the kitchen when Sensei Wu entered the room.

"Good morning." He greeted them cheerfully. "Cole, as soon as you are finished here, I want you to meet me out in the courtyard."

Cole nodded, smiling a little as he looked at the ninja master. "I'll be there in no more than five minutes."

"Excellent." Sensei Wu responded. Instead of heading out to the courtyard like they'd expected, or even getting something to eat, he went over to the stove and began to prepare a pot of tea. He remained silent as he did so, appearing to be lost in thought.

When Cole glanced at her with a curious look, Lyla just shrugged. She got up from her chair, starting to tidy up the things that were on the table. "I can clean up in here, if you want to get a head start on training." She offered. "I'll come and watch you whenever I'm done."

"Alright, thanks." Cole said as he hopped up to put his dishes next to the sink. "I'll help with lunch clean-up."

Lyla nodded, smiling softly as she looked over at her brother. "That works. Good luck with training."

If she had looked over at Sensei Wu she would have seen the knowing smile on his face, but she was busy beginning to tidy up the small kitchen. Cole thanked her before he headed out to the courtyard, the ninja master following him after a moment.

Sensei Wu brought with him the teapot and a cup, as well as a napkin and a bowl of sugar cubes that he carried out on a wooden tray. Lyla shook her head in amusement, wondering if the ninja master carried tea with him wherever he went. He seemed to enjoy it, or at least made drinking it several times a day one of his top priorities.

Lyla smiled a little as she continued to clean the kitchen. Since it had just been her and Cole eating a small breakfast, there wasn't much to clean up. She cleared and wiped the small table, then started washing the dishes as she hummed quietly to herself.

As she worked, Lyla glanced out the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of her brother as he began training. But from the kitchen window, you could look out over the countryside, and not into the courtyard. So she went back to cleaning, confident that her brother was doing fine.

/.../

Once they got outside, Cole was expecting to see equipment of some sort. But instead, the courtyard appeared to be empty. He turned to Sensei Wu in confusion, a small frown appearing on his face. "Uh... Sensei?" He questioned. "Where do I train? I don't see any equipment or anything."

Sensei Wu smiled, setting down his tray of tea supplies before he made his way across the courtyard. "Patience, Cole. Not everything is as it may appear." He came to a stop beside a dragon statue and tapped the head of it, which popped up to reveal a secret red button.

As Cole watched in curiosity and amazement, Sensei Wu pressed the button and immediately the courtyard began to transform right in front of them. Training equipment rose up from the ground, and it was a fairly elaborate course, though the design of it was simple.

Sensei Wu began to walk back across the courtyard, a small smile still present on his face as Cole looked around in amazement. "Your training begins now." He announced. "Your first exercise is to complete the training course before I finish my tea."

After he finished speaking, Sensei Wu sat down on the steps that lead out of the monastery and into the courtyard, beginning to pour himself a cup of tea. Cole glanced back at the training course uncertainly, then at the ninja master with a confused look.

He was just about to ask Sensei Wu a question, when the older man set his teacup down on the tray, finished. The ninja master stood up with a small sigh, gathering his things together. "Today you failed." He said simply. "You may try the course again tomorrow."

Cole frowned, staring at him in surprise and confusion. "I didn't even start the course today. Can't I try again?"

Sensei Wu shook his head, looking over at Cole. "Not today. You are welcome to practice your other skills, though. Tomorrow, you will try again. You may use the training course during practice if you like, and there are several weapons over there that you are also allowed to use."

With those words, he turned and headed back into the monastery. Cole followed after him. "Wait!" He called, and Sensei Wu came to a stop, looking at him intently. "Is that it?" Cole questioned. "Aren't you going to teach me anything else? I thought you were going to train me."

A small smile appeared on Sensei Wu's face. "I'm afraid that you are missing the point of today's lesson."

Cole tilted his head, looking at the ninja master in confusion. "What lesson? I thought I failed?"

"You failed to complete the training course in time. But what you have really failed to do is see what I have been trying to teach you. Being a ninja requires many things. Strength is one of them. I believe you already have that. Agility is another."

Sensei Wu looked at Cole thoughtfully, a gentle smile still on his face. "One of the biggest skills that is important for a ninja to develop is patience. You must keep working at the things you struggle with, in hope that today's failures will one day become tomorrow's triumphs."

Cole nodded, once more surprised by Sensei Wu's wisdom. "Yes, Master." He bowed at the waist respectfully, giving the older man a small smile as he straightened up. "I'll do some training, and try the course again tomorrow. Thank you for training me today."

"Of course." Sensei Wu replied, returning the smile. "It's always a pleasure to teach someone so eager to learn. You are a very gifted person, Cole, and I know that you will become a great ninja one day. You possess the qualities of an excellent leader, and perhaps one day it is I who will learn something from you."

Cole was caught off guard by the unexpected praise, and humbled by the ninja master's words. "Thank you. That means a lot." He said softly.

"Of course. I wish you luck as you continue your training." Sensei Wu replied, giving him a gentle smile before he turned and began to head back into the monastery. Cole turned back to the courtyard with renewed vigor, determined to make the ninja master proud.

In a corner of the courtyard he found a small table with several small pieces of armor on it, as well as a few different weapons. There were several swords and katanas, as well as a pair of shurikens and a pair of nunchucks. But the weapon that most caught his attention was a scythe.

Cole picked up the scythe with a small smile, passing it back and forth as he adjusted to the feeling of holding the weapon in his hands. He guessed that it must weigh more than the others weapons, but it seemed like it was a good weight for him.

He gave it an experimental swing, a wide grin appearing on his face as it sliced through the air. Cole gripped the scythe in his hands and turned to face the training course once more. He was prepared to try, and he was prepared to fail. But he wasn't going to give up.

/.../

_Chapter three is finally out! This one was a lot of fun to write, and I enjoyed experimenting with Cole's growing bond with Sensei Wu, as well as having him interact with his sister. Their story is just beginning, and they have no idea what's in store for all of them. Over the next couple chapters, Cole and Lyla will get to meet the rest of the ninja as they train under Sensei Wu and set out to discover their full potentials, as well as protect Ninjago. Thank you all for sticking with me so far, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Reviews are always appreciated, and they motivate me to continue, so please leave one if you liked the chapter._

~ ArtisticNinja


	6. chapter four

_balance of light and darkness book one : emergence_

_chapter four : as iron sharpens iron, sibling sharpens sibling_

_written by : artisticninja_

_words : 3,542_

_/.../_

Lyla set the last few dishes down beside the sink, stepping back as she looked around the kitchen in satisfaction. Everything was much more tidy, and it hadn't taken her that long to do it. A small smile appeared on her face as she pushed back a stray piece of her blonde hair, glancing around the kitchen once more before she started to head outside to see her brother, who was likely still training.

When she came out into the monastery's courtyard, Lyla was surprised to see a training course of some kind set up. It hadn't been there before, and she was curious about where it had come from. It looked almost as if it could have come right out of the ground.

A loud _thump, _followed by a groan caught Lyla's attention, and she turned to see Cole laying on his back not far from where she was standing, with what appeared to be a scythe on top of him. She guessed that he had been attempting to run through the course, and had been thrown off of it. A small smile appeared on Lyla's face, as she did her best not to laugh at the sight of her brother.

"How's your training going so far?" She asked, walking over to Cole and offering him a hand. Her brother grumbled something under his breath, but accepted her hand, bringing the scythe with him as she pulled him to his feet a moment later.

"Thanks." Cole said, dusting himself off a bit as he straightened up. He looked around for a moment, before he looked back at his sister with a small smile. "It's going as good as it can, I guess. I feel like I'm failing at this stuff already. It's harder than it looks."

Lyla smiled, nodding in agreement. "Most things are, I suppose. But I'm sure you're not as bad a ninja as you think you are."

Cole shook his head, disagreeing, but he chose not to say anything. "Well, at least I'm better at this then dancing. But I've got a long way to go before you'll be able to call me a ninja. I don't know if I'll ever get through this thing, let alone before Sensei finishes his tea."

"Before Sensei Wu finishes his tea?" Lyla questioned, an amused look appearing on her face. "Was that his lesson for the day?" It was odd, she had to admit. Still, it sounded like something he would do. But looking at the training course, she wondered if it was even possible.

Cole nodded, frowning a little. "That was part of what he taught, the other half of the lesson was about learning patience. I've been training on this course for a while, but I just can't seem to make any progress. It gets a little frustrating after a while."

"Just keep trying." Lyla encouraged. "I know it seems hard now, but it should get easier the more you practice."

Cole shook his head. "You'd be saying something different if you were the one who had to do this." He said with a smile, teasing her. Then the smile on his face faded, and he looked thoughtful. "What if I'm not meant to be a ninja either? I don't want to let Sensei Wu down."

"Cole, as long as you try your best, you aren't letting him down." Lyla said softly. "Sensei Wu chose you for a reason, and I know he sees potential in you. He wouldn't just choose someone without potential to train as a ninja, and he didn't. He chose you."

Her brother sighed once, then nodded as he straightened up a little more. "Thanks, Lya." The smile returned to Cole's face after a moment, and he looked over at Lyla. "Do you want to watch me run through the course once?" He asked, the familiar sparkle returning to his brown eyes.

Lyla smiled, glad to see that her brother appeared to be feeling happier. "Sure, I'd love to watch you. That's why I came out here, anyway. I'm sure you're just dying to show off your new skills to someone." The last few words were said with a playful shove to his shoulder.

Cole was grinning now, and he leaned over to shove her shoulder in return. "Well, who else am I going to show off for? Sensei Wu would probably scold me if I tried it on him, and I don't see anyone else around here that I can impress. Just you."

"But I thought you were just talking about how bad a ninja you are. What skills do you even have to show off?" Lyla questioned with a smile, just teasing him. Their playful fighting brought back memories of wrestling and goofing off with him when they were younger.

Cole chuckled. He looked down at her with a mock glare, though he was still smiling. "I have lots of skills. More than you."

"Oh really?" Lyla said as she crossed her arms, pretending to be indignant. Her blue eyes almost seemed to sparkle as she looked up at her older brother, an idea forming in her mind. "Is that a challenge?"

"A challenge?" Cole repeated, as he looked down at her with a small smile. "What are you suggesting, Lyla?"

She smiled a little more, looking up at him. "Teach me some of your ninja stuff. Then I can fight you, and we can practice together. I want to at least learn some self defense moves while we're here, and it'll be fun to beat you in a fight one day."

"Beat me in a fight one day? I doubt it." Cole replied, shaking his head in amusement. He then glanced down at the scythe in his hands, before looking back at his sister thoughtfully. "But if you want, I can teach you some things. It might be fun. I don't know a lot yet, and I'm nowhere near as good at this stuff as Sensei Wu. Maybe you can ask him to help, if you're actually serious about this."

"Of course I'm serious." Lyla replied, looking back at him. "I may not be a ninja, but I can at least try to keep up with you."

Cole nodded, smiling a little. "I guess I can teach you a couple things. As long as Sensei doesn't mind."

"Of course, I don't mind." A voice from somewhere behind Lyla and Cole made them jump. Turning around, they saw Sensei Wu standing there in the courtyard behind them with a smile on his face, a bamboo staff in his hand. He seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

"My father told me once that_ As iron sharpens iron, brother sharpens brother. _He is correct. There are few people in life that can sharpen you, challenge you, shape the way you view things than a brother." He nodded to Lyla with a smile. "Or a sister."

Lyla nodded in agreement, looking over at Sensei Wu. His words made sense, and it made her think of her relationship with Cole. It also challenged her in a way, as his words gave her the sudden desire to help her brother to become the best person he could be.

Cole also appeared to be deep in thought, though he shook his head after a moment and turned his attention to the ninja master. "Does that mean I can teach her a couple things?" He asked. "When I'm not training, of course."

"As long as it doesn't interfere with your training, and you use that time to teach her things instead of just standing around and talking." Sensei Wu replied with a smile, looking between the two of them for a moment before his gaze settled on Cole again.

"Why don't you run through the training course once more, so I can see how far you've improved since this morning."

Cole nodded, though he did look a little nervous. "Alright, I'll try." Sensei Wu stepped back toward the doorway of the monastery with a nod, beckoning Lyla to follow him. She did, and the two of them sat down on the steps to watch Cole try the training course once again.

Lyla looked over at her brother, watching him go through a few of the obstacles. He seemed to be doing well for his first day of training, though he stumbled several times, lacking the grace and finesse of a ninja and looking more like the ninja in training that he was.

Eventually, Cole came to the same place he'd gotten stuck before, when Lyla had first come outside. She winced as he was thrown off again, tumbling clumsily into a heap by the doors leading out of the courtyard. Sensei Wu just sighed and shook his head, getting up.

He walked over to Cole, and Lyla quickly followed after him. She reached down to offer her brother a hand, but Sensei Wu stopped her with a gentle touch of his staff. Puzzled, Lyla withdrew her hand as her brother pulled himself to his feet with a soft groan.

"You still have much to learn." Sensei Wu said, looking at Cole. "However, since it is the first day I will go a little easier on you."

Cole sighed and hung his head, looking down at the floor of the courtyard. "Yes, Sensei. I'll keep trying."

"Good, that is all that I ask of you today." The ninja master responded. "A ninja never quits, but instead perseveres. This course is not the most difficult thing to master, even though it may appear so in the moment. It will help you to learn Spinjitzu, once you have mastered it."

Cole nodded, looking up from the floor after a moment. Lyla gave her brother a gentle smile, and he did his best to return it.

As Sensei Wu spoke again, they both turned their attention back to him. "You are doing well so far, keep up the good work. I will let you train for the rest of the day however you choose, and early tomorrow morning you will run through the course again."

"Thank you, Sensei." Cole said softly, giving the older man a respectful nod. Sensei Wu also nodded, before he turned and went back into the monastery once more, leaving the Brookstone siblings alone together in the courtyard.

"So, what now?" Lyla questioned, looking up at Cole. Her brother just shrugged in response, a tired look settling on his face. It had been a long day, and he'd done a lot. Though Lyla knew that there wasn't much she could do, she wanted to distract her brother from his gloomy thoughts.

She crossed the courtyard, eventually reaching the table with several weapons on it. After studying the various items there, Lyla selected a katana. She swung it a couple times, a small smile appearing on her face. She'd never held a weapon like this before.

After several experimental swings, Lyla headed back over to Cole. "How about we try and have a practice fight of some sort?"

Her brother looked down at her, a small smile spreading across his face. "Aren't you a little young to be holding that katana? I mean look at you, you aren't even holding it the right way. You should hold it with one hand, instead of two."

Lyla wasn't irritated by Cole's response, and smiled as she bit back a response about her not being too young. She glanced down at the weapon in her hand, and realized that what Cole had said might be true. The way she was holding it did look a little odd, so she switched to holding it in her right hand. The weight was something to get used to, but she assumed that came with practice.

"See, you're looking better already." Cole said, sounding rather pleased with himself. Lyla smiled as she resisted the urge to roll her eyes, finding her brother's words amusing. But she remained quiet, letting him have a moment to feel like he'd done something worth commending.

Cole took several steps back, before gesturing to the weapon that Lyla was holding. "Give it a couple swings." He encouraged.

"I'll give it a try." Lyla responded, taking an extra step back just to be careful before she swung the katana a few times. It was hard at first, but it got easier. She was mesmerized by the sight of the blade cutting neatly through the air, and it excited her for reasons she couldn't explain.

Cole hummed in approval, watching Lyla with a small smile. "Not bad, especially for your first time. You just need some practice, that's all." He chuckled, then added: "It'll be a long time before you can ever get close to beating me in a fight."

That caused Lyla to smile, and she laughed softly before lowering the katana she was holding. "You sound too confident. You're the one who just failed epically on the training course." She was just teasing her brother, and it was worth the grin that had settled on his face.

"Hey, I never said I was perfect." Cole glanced at the scythe in his hands, then looked back at Lyla. "I do have a long way to go before I'll feel worthy enough to be called a ninja. For now, I'm just a ninja in training." His dark brown eyes almost seemed to twinkle in the light as he spoke.

"How about you teach me a couple things, before I head inside?" Cole's smile was infectious, and Lyla found herself smiling as she looked back at her older brother. "Maybe you should pick a different weapon though, I'm not sure how well I'd do against a scythe. How do you even fight with that thing?"

Cole laughed, as he tried to figure out if she was being serious or not. Then he shrugged, glancing down at the scythe once more before he looked back at Lyla. "This might sound silly, but it feels like this is the right weapon for me. I can't explain why, it just feels right."

Then he smiled again, shaking his head. "But don't worry, when we practice together I'll use something different. The last thing we want is you ending up hurt because I whacked you with a scythe."

"Good idea." Lyla responded, laughing softly. "I don't think Sensei Wu would appreciate it if I ended up getting hurt." She held out the katana, offering it to Cole. "Here, you can take this. There's another one on the table that I can grab."

Cole shook his head with a smile. "You can keep that one. I should probably put this scythe back over there anyway, so we don't trip on it or anything." Lyla nodded in agreement, and watched her brother cross the courtyard and make his way over to the table.

A moment later, Cole came back with a katana of his own. "Alright, let's get started. Like I said, I'm probably not going to be a great teacher. But I'll do my best, and I'll walk you through a couple things. You ready?" He questioned, moving into some sort of ready position.

Lyla smiled as she attempted to copy Cole's stance, holding the katana out in front of her. "I'm ready."

As Cole and Lyla began their lesson, Sensei Wu watched them from the doorway that led into the courtyard. The Brookstone siblings didn't see him standing there, nor did they see the small smile that had appeared on the older man's face as he observed them, saying softly: "As iron sharpens iron, sibling sharpens sibling."

/.../

An hour or so passed as Cole and Lyla stayed together in the courtyard, but eventually they finished. Both of them sat down together on the monastery steps, exhaustion evident on their faces. They waited a moment to catch their breath before saying anything.

"Not too bad, for your first time." Cole said with a smile, glancing down at his sister as he spoke. "You kept up well, and you're a fast learner." He was proud of her, and impressed by the skills she'd shown. Even though she wasn't a ninja, she was certainly a good fighter.

Lyla beamed at the unexpected praise, and she looked up at her brother with a happy smile. "Thanks. You're a good teacher."

"Of course I am." Cole joked, giving her a teasing grin. "It was kind of fun, actually. Maybe I'll teach you more in the future. I haven't learned whatever fancy martial art that Sensei wants to teach me yet, the name of which I can't remember at the moment."

Cole's brow furrowed in confusion, as he struggled to recall the name of the martial art that had been mentioned earlier. Lyla chuckled softly at the expression on her brother's face, and he shook his head with a smile. "Maybe I'll just ask Sensei Wu about it later."

"Good idea." Lyla responded, putting a hand on Cole's shoulder as she pulled herself to her feet. She dusted herself off, before looking back at Cole. He stood with some effort, wincing slightly at the pain that came with the use of muscles he hadn't used in a long time.

Once he had gotten to his feet, Cole looked down at Lyla. He rubbed the back of his neck, frowning as his hand came in contact with his skin. Newly formed blisters made his hands sting, but he forced himself to ignore the pain. "Now what?"

Lyla tilted her head a bit, biting her lip as she thought for a moment. "Well, I think we should get some water." She glanced up at the sky, where the midday sun was beating down on them. "And I should probably get started on figuring out lunch."

At the thought of food, Cole suddenly realized how hungry he was. It had been a long morning, and all he'd eaten was a small breakfast. He licked his dry lips, suddenly wanting water more than anything else. "Sounds like a good idea. Maybe I'll come with you."

"Alright." Lyla pushed back some wayward strands of blond hair that had come loose from her ponytail, before she turned and headed back into the monastery. Cole followed after her, sighing in relief as he stepped inside. It was cooler in the monastery, and it was still and peaceful.

As they made their way toward the kitchen, Cole couldn't help but wonder where Sensei Wu was. It seemed like the older man was always disappearing and reappearing, often when they would least expect it. He'd startled them both more than once.

Cole shrugged one shoulder, smiling to himself. He supposed they'd get used to Sensei Wu's strange behaviors eventually, and one day it would be perfectly normal for him to appear out of nowhere and greet them with something random, like-

"Hello Cole, Lyla. I was just about to come find you." Cole nearly jumped out of his skin as they rounded a corner of the hallway and came to the kitchen, where Sensei Wu was standing silently in the doorway. He had given them absolutely no indication of his presence.

Recovering quickly from his surprise, Cole gave the older man a small smile. "Hello Sensei. We were just finishing up a few things."

"I see." Sensei Wu said, returning the smile. He stepped back to motion toward the table, where things were set up for lunch. "I hope that you both are hungry, I took the time to prepare a meal. There are some things I would like to discuss with you as we eat."

Cole glanced at Lyla curiously, and her expression mirrored his as she glanced at him. Then she looked back at the ninja master, a small smile on her face. "Thank you for getting things ready." Cole nodded in agreement, and the two of them quickly washed their hands before they took a seat at the table.

Sensei Wu was quiet for the first few minutes, letting Cole and Lyla eat before he spoke. Eventually, he leaned forward a little as he fixed his gentle blue eyes on Cole. "Are you ready to hear the legend of how Ninjago was created? And to know the reason that I have chosen you as my student to train in the art of Spinjitzu?"

Cole blinked once in surprise, but found himself suddenly eager to hear what Sensei Wu had to say. He almost felt like whatever it was, whatever words the ninja master spoke, had the power to change his life forever. He leaned forward a little as he spoke, his dark brown eyes meeting the older man's blue ones. "I'm ready."

/.../

_Thank you all for your patience! I know it's been a while since I last updated, things have been really crazy. I've been able to work on a lot of planning and ideas for the story, and I now have a timeline pretty much set. I don't want to spoil any of the future chapters, but there are a lot of big things coming up for Cole and Lyla as they begin their journey with Sensei Wu! It's only going to get crazier from here. Thank you all for sticking with the story so far, your support means the world to me! I'm super excited to have the opportunity to share this story with all of you, and I hope you're enjoying it! Please consider leaving a review if you enjoyed the chapter, and thank you again for all your support!_

_~ ArtisticNinja_


	7. chapter five

_balance of light and darkness book one : emergence_

_chapter five : liveliness and vitality_

_written by : artisticninja_

_words : 3,554_

_/.../_

_"Long before time had a name, Ninjago was created by the First Spinjitzu Master, by using the four weapons of Spinjitzu. The Scythe of Quakes, the Nunchucks of Lightning, the Shurikens of Ice, and the Sword of Fire. Weapons so powerful, no one can handle all of their power at once. _

_"When he passed away, his two sons swore to protect them, but the oldest was consumed by darkness and wanted to possess them. A battle between brothers broke out, and the oldest was struck down and banished to the Underworld._

_"Peace returned and the younger brother hid the weapons, but knowing his older brother's relentless ambition for power, he placed a guardian to protect them. And for fear of his own demise, a map for an honest man to hide."_

Sensei Wu smiled as he took another sip of tea, before he gazed across the table at Cole and Lyla. Both of them were silent, attentive expressions on their faces as they waited for the ninja master to continue his tale. It was unlike anything that they had ever heard before.

The older man chuckled softly to himself as he noticed them staring at him intently, and he set his cup down before continuing.

"Fortunately, things are still peaceful in Ninjago. The older brother has not been heard of since, and the younger brother has remained hidden in his father's monastery for the time being as he prepares for whatever may come in the future."

Cole looked over at Lyla in surprise, his eyes widening in realization. "You're the younger brother, aren't you?" He questioned, turning back to Sensei Wu. The ninja master smiled a little, looking over as he gave them a small nod in response, before answering Cole's question.

"I am the younger brother, and my father was the First Spinjitzu Master. I have chosen you to become one of my first students and to eventually become a master of Spinjitzu. You have a great gift, Cole, and you possess the elemental powers of Earth."

It took Cole a moment to process through the things that Sensei Wu had told them, after hearing about the elemental powers that he had. It was big news, and certainly changed a lot of things. But suddenly, something else that the ninja master has said caught Cole's attention. "Wait a minute, did you say that you chose me to become _one _of your first students?"

Sensei Wu looked at Cole as he spoke, the small smile on his face hidden under his long white beard. "You are correct, Cole." He said finally. "You are the first of several students, and there are others who will one day join you in training to master Spinjitzu."

Cole suddenly felt excited at the thought of meeting others like himself. It would take some time to get to know them, but he was hopeful that they would be able to develop a close friendship over however much time passed as they trained together.

If what Sensei Wu had said was true, then they would also be the ones in charge of protecting and defending Ninjago. While that seemed like a daunting task, the idea of having a team to fight alongside him made it seem little less intimidating.

Now that Cole knew there would be others who would go through the same training as he did, and that they would all face the same trials as they worked together as a team, he felt confident that they would be able to fulfil the task that Sensei Wu had set before them: to follow in the footsteps of the First Spinjitzu Master as they discovered their true potentials and trained to become Ninjago's protectors.

/.../

Several weeks went by. Every morning, Cole woke up early and attempted to finish the training course before Sensei Wu could finish his tea, and every morning he failed. But he refused to let that discourage him, and instead pressed on.

Cole spent most of his day out in the courtyard. He put all of his effort into his training as a ninja, and had become stronger and more skilled in different areas. As he practiced, he was surprised to feel his strength growing, as well as his endurance.

Sensei Wu told him that it was a result of his elemental powers of Earth, and Cole worked hard to harness his new abilities. He and Lyla were slowly beginning to feel at home here in the monastery, and had already established and settled into different daily routines and activities.

Lyla still took care of most of the cooking, like she had ever since she was old enough. Cole tried to become a better cook, he really did, but no matter how hard he tried things just didn't seem to turn out exactly how she said they should. Sensei Wu had long given up trying to teach him anything in the kitchen, his patience had worn out after only a few times. So Cole stuck to learning things that he was good at.

When he wasn't training, Cole was almost always spending time with his sister. Even with his new responsibilities, the close relationship that they had always had remained the same. Lyla was as supportive and kind as she always had been, which he was grateful for.

They still practiced sparring in the courtyard almost every day, and Cole had begun teaching her some of the more simple moves that he'd learned, even letting Lyla attempt the training course one day when she had begged him to let her try it.

She wasn't much of a fast learner, but she did try. Cole always felt the smallest sense of pride when Lyla was finally able to master something small, though she was still nowhere close to beating him in a fight, or even being a decently challenging opponent.

Lyla didn't mind though, and was happy just to be included in a small part of what her brother was doing. When he wasn't training the two of them spent a lot of the time just hanging out together, whether inside the monastery or close outside it.

They frequently took long walks and explored the areas beyond the monastery, and on days when Cole was given a break from training they sometimes packed a lunch and spent most of the day hiking and exploring like they had done at their old home long ago.

These happy moments spent with his sister during the first few weeks at the monastery quickly became some of Cole's most cherished memories. The two of them made the most of the days they spent there, while things were still new and the days were long and sunny.

It was another one of those peaceful, lazy sunny days when Cole and Lyla were out in one of the fields near the monastery. Sensei Wu had gone out on some errands, leaving the two siblings alone. After they had done a brief clean-up like he had instructed them to, they had packed a lunch and headed off to spend the afternoon outside and enjoy their time together before the ninja master returned.

Almost as soon as they had gotten off of the dirt road leading out of the monastery and wandered into the tall grass of the field, Lyla had removed her shoes and was walking barefoot among the grasses and flowers. The sight caused Cole to laugh, his eyes sparkling in amusement.

Carrying the basket full of the food that they had prepared, he followed his sister's trail through the sun bathed grasses, whistling a cheerful tune as he walked. The sky was blue and almost completely cloudless above them, the atmosphere of the field peaceful and quiet.

"Are you coming?" Lyla's somewhat teasing voice broke through Cole's thoughts. The tune on his lips died in the middle of a note as he glanced over at his sister, a small smile appearing on his face as he noticed her already a good ten feet in front of him.

"I'm coming!" A playful smirk made its way onto his face as an idea suddenly came to Cole's mind. Still carrying the basket of food in one hand, he suddenly dashed forward with a surprising burst of speed. "Race you there!" He shouted, laughing as he quickly passed his surprised sister.

It took Lyla a moment to react, but pretty soon she was speeding through the grasses behind her older brother, an amused look on her face. "That wasn't fair! You should have at least given me a warning!" She exclaimed, trying to catch up with Cole, who was still way ahead of her.

"I gave you a head start! You were like fifty feet ahead of me!" He responded with a laugh, not stopping or even slowing his pace.

His words made Lyla laugh, but before she could come up with a response he'd already beaten her to their designated lunch spot. He set the basket down on a flat stone, barely even out of breath. When she finally got there moments later, panting, Cole looked over at her with a small smile. "I was wondering when you were going to show up." He teased, before she playfully shoved him in the shoulder.

"You know, if you were half as fast in the training course as you were racing me here, you would have mastered it long ago."

"Hey! That training course is harder than it looks!" Cole replied indignantly, and Lyla couldn't help but laugh when she saw the look on his face. She quickly assured him that she was just teasing, and he looked almost relieved to hear that she wasn't being serious.

Lyla smiled as she sat down beside the rock that the basket was currently on, glancing inside of it to make sure that none of the things they'd brought had been damaged during the race. "So, do you want to eat lunch or have a game of tag first, Master of Speed?"

Cole sighed dramatically, turning his face to gaze out at the field in an effort to hide the amused look on his face. "Knock it off, Lya." He demanded playfully, his brown eyes sparkling in the sunlight. "Let's just eat quick, so we can head out for a walk."

Lyla nodded once, a small smile still on her own face as she began pulling things out of the basket. Cole helped her get everything out, and after several moments the two of them were sitting together among the grass and the flowers, talking softly as they ate.

/.../

The sun was still shining brightly in the sky above them, though it was moving slowly toward the west as Cole and Lyla walked up the steps to the monastery. Their skin was already slightly tanned as a result of many hours spent outside, and the two had bright smiles on their faces.

When they came inside, Sensei Wu was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of tea, a relaxed expression on his face. "Welcome back."

"Hello Sensei!" Lyla greeted him cheerfully, setting their basket on a nearby chair. As she headed off to the sink to wash her hands, Wu couldn't help but notice the wildflowers that now partially filled the basket, and the sight of them caused a small smile to appear on his face.

The ninja master was quiet as he sipped his tea, content just to watch Cole and Lyla for the time being. The blonde-haired girl had returned with a vase and was beginning to carefully place the flowers in it, while the raven-haired boy had headed off in the direction of the fridge.

It was strange how after spending years alone in his father's old monastery, with no one to talk to and plenty of peace and quiet, in just a few short weeks Wu had already become mostly used to having two children now living here with him. They brought a sort of liveliness and vitality to the place, and in their interactions the ninja master saw things that reminded him of his own relationship that he had had with his brother.

At the thought of his older brother, Wu couldn't help but sigh softly. It had been years since Garmadon had disappeared, struck down to the Underworld. He had been there that day, and had tried to stop his brother from taking the Golden Weapons that had once belonged to their father. Ever since then, he hadn't seen his brother. _Or Misako, either. _Some part of his mind reminded him.

Soon after his older brother was banished to the Underworld, his wife Misako had disappeared without a trace. By that point, she and Garmadon had been married for several years, and had a little baby that they named Lloyd. His nephew. Wu had searched for them after everything was over, but had found no trace of either his sister-in-law or her son. He'd lost the remainder of his family that day.

Even after all this time, and several years had passed since then, Wu still felt guilty for not being able to find them. He'd wanted to offer Misako support and comfort after the loss of her husband, and would have happily helped her raise Lloyd if that's what she had wanted.

But that was in the past. Though he refused to forget about the past, and to forget about the members of his family that meant so much to him, Wu was focused on completing the task set before him: to train several students to become Masters of Spinjitzu. There were others out there that were like Cole, and though each of them possessed elemental powers, they were all very different and talented people.

Over the years he had been keeping an eye on the people that would one day become his students, and now was simply waiting for the right moment to bring them together. They all came from different backgrounds and had many different stories, but they were all gifted people that would one day become not just a team, but a family. Though it would be tested many times, their bond would soon become unbreakable.

Cole was already doing quite well in his training, and though he still had a long way to go to become a Spinjitzu Master, he was heading in the right direction. It would take time, but with practice and patience Wu was confident that Cole would one day become an excellent ninja.

Soon, the small group at the monastery would be growing with the addition of a few more students. Like he had done with Cole, Wu had gone to talk to one of them this morning, and to invite them to join him in training at the monastery. If things worked out how he was sure that they would, then when the ninja master returned from his errands the next day, he would be bringing another student with him.

_Things are only going to get crazier from this point on, and who knows what will happen in the coming years? _Wu thought with a small smile, as he took another sip of his tea. He noticed the faded blue vase that was now on the table in front of him, filled with colorful wildflowers. The ninja master was surprised to find that he recognized all of the flowers, and even more surprised to discover that he knew the names of each of them. They had grown around here as long as he could remember, and the sight of them brought back more memories of his younger days.

It seemed like it had been only yesterday when he and his older brother had been the ones that spent hours exploring outside, staying out until the sun's light began to fade. But now here he was now, many years later, sipping tea at the kitchen table as he waited for Cole and Lyla to return from their own adventures outside the monastery. Yet the same flowers were still growing, even after all of these years.

_Time is a strange thing. It always has been, and it always will be a mystery to men. __We all feel its effects, but are unable to do anything to stop it or to prevent the changes that it brings to us all, _Wu mused, gazing down at the tea in his cup and studying the reflection that he found there.

"How did your errands go, Sensei?" Lyla's soft, cheerful voice startled the ninja master out of his thoughts, and he glanced up from the cup in his hands to look at the young girl standing beside the table, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement as he gave her a gentle smile.

"They went quite well, thank you Lyla. I trust that you and your brother had a nice afternoon, am I right?"

The blonde-haired girl nodded, smiling brightly as she looked at the ninja master. "We did, thank you. It was a really nice day."

Wu smiled a little more, taking a sip of tea before he nodded in agreement. "It certainly was. I'm glad that you two were able to get out of the monastery a bit, and spend some time together this afternoon. I know Cole always enjoys a chance to get out of training if he can."

The last sentence was spoken just as Lyla's brother entered the room, and with a tone that indicated that the ninja master was just teasing him. But Cole still looked up from the plate of cake that he held in his hand, a slightly confused expression on his face. "That's not true."

Wu couldn't resist a small chuckle, and Lyla laughed softly. "He's just teasing you, Cole." The blonde-haired girl said, looking over at her brother in amusement. The smile on her face faded though, as she noticed the plate in his hand. "Cole! You can't eat cake now!"

Cole smirked, a mischievous look in his dark brown eyes. "Of course I can. Cake is one of those things that I can literally eat anytime."

Lyla groaned softly, rolling her eyes a little before she looked over at him. "Of course you _can _eat cake now, but you know that's not what I meant. You _shouldn't_ be eating anything this close to dinner, which I was just about to start working on. You'll ruin your appetite."

Wu took another sip of his tea in an effort to hide the amused smile on his face, not wanting to have any part in this conversation.

"I'll be fine, Lyla." Cole said immediately, a small smile still on his own face as he looked over at his sister. "I'm not going to ruin my appetite, I'll still eat a good dinner. Besides, it's not that big of a piece." He managed to keep a straight face as he took a bite of the cake on his plate.

"Sure. Compared to the size of the pieces you normally eat, it really isn't that big." Lyla replied, crossing her arms with an irritated frown.

That made Cole laugh. Fortunately, he had swallowed the bite of cake in his mouth, so he didn't end up choking on it. "See, it is a small piece." He said with a triumphant smile, looking back over at Lyla, whose expression was one of annoyance.

The blonde-haired girl threw her hands up with a soft groan, shaking her head. "This isn't the first time we've had a discussion like this, and I know it certainly won't be the last time. I don't even know why I try to talk you out of things like this anymore."

Cole chuckled, putting another bite of cake on his fork. "Someone has to. You know, if it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't eat anything but cake."

"You're right, I doubt that you would." Lyla replied with a sigh, running a hand through her blonde hair and tugging at it lightly. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but instead closed it and shook her head once more. "I'm going to start making dinner."

Cole smiled and ate another bite of cake before speaking. "Sounds good. I'll come and help you with it when I'm finished here." His sister just nodded, the faintest of smiles appearing on her face as she headed off in the direction of the kitchen. The raven-haired boy chuckled softly as he noticed the expression on his sister's face, and he leaned against the wall as he continued eating his cake.

Wu smiled and drank the last of his tea, before setting the cup back down on the table in front of him. _Liveliness and vitality indeed_, he thought with a chuckle. This was what he had been missing all of these years that he'd been living alone in the monastery. Lazy sunny days, laughter, wildflowers on the kitchen table, and playful bickering between siblings.

/.../

_I had a hard time getting started with this chapter, but once I got going I actually really enjoyed writing it! It's been a lot of fun to sort of play around with some of the backstories for these characters, to flesh out and try to explain things about them that weren't really touched on or even talked about during the tv show. Cole and Lyla have such a special bond, and it's been a lot of fun to have the chance to write about them. Even though the little group at the monastery will soon gain more members, for the moment the Brookstone siblings are perfectly happy with things being the way they are now. I know that it's been a long time since I last updated, things have been absolutely crazy and I haven't had the time to write a lot. But I want to thank you all for your patience, and I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you all for your support so far, it means the world to me and I couldn't do this without you!_

_ ~ ArtisticNinja_


	8. chapter six

_balance of light and darkness book one : emergence_

_chapter six : early mornings and flower crowns_

_written by : artisticninja_

_words : 5,026_

/…/

The sun was still rising in the pale pink sky, illuminating the monastery in a soft yellow light and casting long shadows from almost everything that it touched when Cole woke up early the next morning. The raven-haired boy yawned before he opened his eyes, groaning softly as he sat up in bed and stretched. He rubbed his eyes before he ran a hand through his somewhat messy hair, yawning once more.

For a moment he regretted making the decision to get up early and train, but tried to reassure himself that it would be worth it to get some extra training done, and work on trying to complete the course in the amount of time that it would take Sensei Wu to drink his tea. Why did it have to be such a short period of time? Cole swore that he never saw the ninja master drink tea so quickly than when it was time for him to run through the training course. Every other part of the day, Wu would take his time to drink his tea, occasionally spending hours drinking from the same cup. Or so it seemed. Of course he didn't take his time while watching Cole train, that made perfect sense.

Cole shook his head in amusement, attempting to clear his thoughts, his expression still sleepy. He debated laying back down and falling asleep again, extra training or not, but finally he made the decision to start getting up. The raven-haired boy glanced over at Lyla's bed for a moment, and a small smile appeared on his face as he realized that his sister was still sleeping peacefully. They were still sharing a room, at least for the time being. Sensei Wu was still trying to get everything set up in the monastery, but he'd mentioned the possibly of switching things around when and if any other students joined them in the near future. It was one of those things that you just had to wait and see how it would turn out, and Cole was sure that whatever happened, it would be interesting at certain points. But interesting didn't always mean bad.

_I could use some more 'interesting' in my life. _He thought jokingly to himself as he pushed the covers back and hopped carefully out of bed. After a quick glance over at Lyla to see if she had woken up, Cole began tidying his bed. He didn't spend too much time on it, just fixed it up and hoped that it would be enough to keep his sister from correcting him about it later. She could be picky about things like that sometimes.

While they were growing up, after their mother's death Cole had been focused more on keeping them both alive, cared for, and safe. To him if they had enough food and could keep the house in relatively good shape when they weren't busy with schoolwork or necessary jobs, that was enough. A slightly messy house and things being less than perfect didn't bother him. But Lyla had always tried to keep things more tidy, she liked having routines and was better at keeping things in order around the house. Between the two of them and their separate talents and abilities, they'd always made a great team. They'd done a good job handling things, even though they had mainly done it themselves.

It was funny how even now, while he and Lyla were living here with Sensei Wu, a lot of things that they did around the monastery were similar to the things they had done back at their home not that long ago. They'd both settled in and adjusted fairly quickly to life at the monastery, and were grateful for the short time they'd already spent here. Cole was somewhat nervous about the thought of adding in several more people when the time came to welcome the other ninja-in-training, but he was hopeful that the transition would go smoothly and that they would soon all become close friends before too much time passed. If not, training, chores, and mealtimes were going to be super awkward.

With those thoughts in mind, Cole took one last glance at his bed before he decided that it looked fine, then grabbed his clothes and headed off to get changed. He was careful to be as quiet as he could so he wouldn't wake up his sister, and as he tiptoed down the hallway he didn't hear any other signs of movement in the monastery. So unless Sensei Wu was in the kitchen or hiding around some corner to scare him, Cole was fairly confident that he could safely assume that the ninja master was either still asleep, or meditating somewhere quiet.

Once he'd gotten to the bathroom a couple doors down the hall from where he and Lyla slept, Cole slipped into the ninja gi that had been given to him by Sensei Wu only a week or so ago. The gi was a plain black one complete with a hood, and actually quite comfortable. The material was durable, and was already showing just a few small signs of wear as a result of being worn almost constantly. The hood was seldom used, at least for the time being, until he got used to wearing it more. At first, wearing the gi had felt like being a kid playing dress-up, but as Cole continued with his training and became more skilled, the gi was becoming more like a uniform that was part of something that he was proud of. It was an honor to be worthy of owning one, and he took both the wearing of it and his training very seriously.

After making sure that the sash on his gi was tied correctly, Cole studied his reflection in the mirror above the sink. His dark brown eyes were still somewhat sleepy looking, and his hair was a mess. He chuckled softly and rummaged around in one of the cabinets for a comb, but gave up searching after several minutes. Running a hand through his hair a few times was enough to calm down the worst of the bed-head, and after a couple more tries Cole got the thick black hair to settle into a reasonably presentable state. He glanced in the mirror one last time, nodding in satisfaction before he gathered the rest of his things and headed back to drop them off in the bedroom before breakfast.

Still trying to be as quiet as he could, as not to wake Lyla, Cole snuck back into the room. He made his way to the dresser and pulled the bottom drawer open, depositing his things atop the mess that was the rest of his belongings. After several more moments he'd managed to get things rearranged enough so that the drawer would close again without too much trouble, then snuck back out of the room and headed off in the direction of the kitchen. There were no other noises except the sounds of Cole's footsteps in the hallway, and upon entering the kitchen he saw no sign of Sensei Wu. So he began to hunt through the fridge for a quick something to eat before training.

Once he'd found some food Cole settled himself at the table and began eating, his gaze wandering around the kitchen. On the counter nearest the stove there was a familiar tray of tea supplies, and a few thin wisps of steam could be seen rising from the teapot close beside them on the stove. So Sensei Wu was awake, likely meditating or doing something else important. That meant that Cole might be able to get in a little extra training time before the ninja master came out to watch him run through the course, if he could finish eating before too much time passed.

The faded blue vase containing the wildflowers that he and Lyla had picked yesterday was still sitting at the center of the table, a cheerful splash of color in the middle of the dimly lit room. It was still fairly quiet, few other noises audible except the faint sounds of birds singing somewhere outside the monastery, announcing with cheerful songs the beginning of a new day. Cole enjoyed the peaceful silence, and did his best not to disturb it by making a lot of noise of his own. Eventually he finished eating, and after he had washed the few dishes that he had gotten out, the raven-haired boy stepped out into the sunlit courtyard and began warming up for his morning training exercises.

Cole fell easily into the motions of warming up, the actions familiar and welcoming to his body, which was still slightly sore from training yesterday. His mind wandered as he moved on to a couple of the training exercises, a faint smile forming on his face. _This_ was what he was good at. This was where he belonged. Out in the monastery's courtyard alone as the early morning sun rose above him, putting all his effort into training as he slowly built up his strength and endurance, pushing his body to do just a little bit more each day as he became stronger.

While training, Cole often had a clear mind, and he could think through things while he worked. His body eagerly accepted the routines and movements, and often he found himself getting so lost in thought that he ended up training for hours without realizing it, his body on autopilot, almost as if he was in a trance and unaware of anything else that was happening around him. When that happened sometimes Sensei Wu or Lyla would appear without Cole realizing it, and their arrival would bring him back to the present and out of his thoughts.

This was another one of those times. Cole was unaware how much time passed, so concentrated on what he was doing to notice much else, but eventually Lyla appeared in the doorway of the monastery, calling to him in greeting. He paused in his training when he heard his sister's voice, and he turned to face her as a smile found its way onto his face. The sun was now high in the sky above Cole, and he had to hold a hand above his eyes to block out the light so that he could see his sister. He waved to her with his free hand, and she waved back at him.

"Hey Cole!" Lyla exclaimed as she jumped down from the monastery steps, running over to him as soon as her feet hit the ground. There was a happy sparkle in her blue eyes as she came to a stop beside her older brother moments later, tilting her head up just a bit so that she could see him better. "How's training going?" She questioned with a smile, still slightly out of breath from her sprint across the courtyard.

Cole chuckled, gazing down at her with a gentle smile. "It's going well, thanks Lyla." He couldn't help but notice that some of her blonde hair was slightly messed up from running, so he reached down to ruffle it playfully. She laughed in response, hopping back and out of his reach as she tried to rearrange her hair to get it back to the way that it had been before. Suddenly conscious of his own hair that was likely messed up from training, Cole ran a hand through it in an attempt to fix it, pushing back a couple pieces from where they had stuck to his forehead and wiping away some of the sweat from his face. Lyla didn't seem to mind his appearance, though. Either that, or she was just used to it by now.

"That's good!" She said cheerfully in response to his answer, glancing down as she absentmindedly smoothed several wrinkles in her clothing before she looked back up at him again. There was still a small smile on Lyla's face, though it faded slightly as a thought occurred to her. "I hope I'm not disturbing you or anything, I just wanted to see how you were doing since you've been out here for a while. I can leave."

Cole grinned and shook his head, gazing down at his sister. "You're not disturbing me at all," he assured Lyla, and was happy to see that her smile had returned fully upon hearing his words. "It's nice to see you, and I should probably take a short break soon anyway, since I've been out here for a while." He reached down in an attempt to ruffle her hair again, though this time she was prepared for it and giggled as she dodged out of his reach. Cole chuckled, an amused look forming on his face, then decided to ask her a question instead. "How'd you sleep?"

Lyla smiled brightly, straightening up once she'd taken a step back, now standing several feet away from her older brother and hopefully out of his immediate reach. "I did sleep well, thank you," she replied after a moment. "I did some cleaning, and I got to sit with Sensei and talk to him for a bit." Her brow furrowed a little as she spoke, as if she was suddenly remembering something, and her expression was thoughtful when she looked back at her older brother once more. "He said that he has another errand to run today, and that it's a really important one."

The raven-haired boy tilted his head to the side slightly, curious. "Another errand?" He repeated, looking down at Lyla. "I thought that he just ran a bunch of those yesterday." His sister just shrugged once in response, equally curious. Cole couldn't help but wonder what was so important that the ninja master had to go out again today. "Did he say anything about what time he's planning to leave?" He questioned.

Lyla shook her head, frowning a little. "Not really. He said that he doesn't have an exact time planned, though it'll probably be sometime later this morning. He doesn't know quite how long he'll be gone, but says that it could possibly take a while." She perked up a bit, a small smile making its way onto her face once more. "Oh, he wanted me to tell you that he'd be out here in a couple minutes to check on you."

A look of nervousness crossed Cole's face, but it quickly vanished as he nodded and gave Lyla a smile. No matter how many times he'd tried the training course, he always seemed to fail. But perhaps today was finally the day. Maybe he wouldn't fail. Or maybe he would. Either way, he told himself not to worry about it too much. He'd do his best, that's all that mattered. Worrying about it wouldn't help anything.

"Hey, do you want to spar for a little while once he leaves?" He suggested, the smile on his face widening a little. "We can start whenever you're ready, and we should have plenty of time to work on things before lunch. Since we were out a lot of the afternoon yesterday, I'm going to try to get some extra training in today, so I probably won't be able to do much this afternoon. But we could take a walk if you want."

A look of excitement had formed on Lyla's face when Cole mentioned the chance to do some sparring, and as he finished speaking she looked up at him with a happy smile. "Sure, that sounds like a great idea!" She exclaimed, her blue eyes sparkling. "I have to get just a few more things done inside, and I'll have to figure out what we're doing for dinner if Sensei ends up coming back late, but I should be ready to spar for a bit not too long after he leaves, and we can start then. After that I'll leave you alone so you can train a bit, and we can go on a walk later on!"

"Alright, I guess it's settled then." Cole replied, chuckling softly as he processed through his sister's hastily spoken words. Her excitement could be infectious sometimes. "And I already told you that you're not bothering me or anything by being out here, so feel free to stay as long as you want. I really don't mind if you're out here while I'm training, just as long as you're not purposely trying to bother or distract me."

"I'll make note of that. Normally, it's not my goal to distract you, I just like watching." Lyla said with a smile. She opened her mouth to speak again, before the sound of the monastery door opening behind them caught her attention. She turned around so that she could see Sensei Wu standing in the doorway, a tray of tea supplies in his hands and a relaxed smile on his face as he glanced over at Cole and Lyla. He paused to carefully place the tray down on the monastery steps, then stepped out into the sunshine and make his way across the courtyard.

The ninja master's hat shielded him from the bright sunlight above them, and in the shadow that it cast over his face they could still see his gentle blue eyes, and the smile that was partially hidden by his long white beard. "Good morning Cole, Lyla," he greeted as he came to a stop in front of the siblings, hands clasped comfortably behind his back. His posture was straight and attentive, but also relaxed. Cole and Lyla echoed Wu's greeting with a cheerful _good morning _of their own, and his eyes twinkled warmly as he gave them a small nod in response.

Sensei Wu's gaze wandered to observe a pale yellow butterfly that was flying through the courtyard, the delicate insect almost appearing to float and drift gracefully through the air above them before it disappeared beyond the courtyard walls. Once it was no longer in sight, the ninja master turned his attention back to Cole and Lyla, a small smile still on his face. They had also been watching the butterfly, having followed Wu's gaze to see what had captured his attention, but they turned to look back at him once he began speaking to them moments later.

"I will be heading out shortly, and I hope to be back before too much time passes." His gaze lingered on Cole for a moment, and the raven-haired boy straightened up a little in response as he listened attentively to whatever the ninja master was about to tell him. Wu gave him a gentle smile, before he continued speaking. "Cole, if you are ready to run through a couple things while I'm here, then you should be pretty much finished with what I will assign you to do today. But depending on when I get back, I may require more of you later this evening."

Cole nodded in agreement, a small smile forming on his face. He was about to say something to Sensei Wu in response, but at that moment Lyla looked up at her older brother with a happy smile, speaking before he had the chance to. "If you're going to do some training for a bit, I'd better get a few things finished inside. Good luck!" She stepped closer to give him a gentle hug, wrapping her arms loosely around his waist.

The raven-haired boy smiled, returning the hug. "Thanks, Lyla. I'll probably still be here whenever you're finished, so just let me know whenever you're ready to spar and we can get started." A sudden realization hit him, and he glanced down at his sister, studying her for a moment. _She's getting taller again. When did that happen? _He thought, a smile spreading across his face. Maybe she'd be almost as tall as him one day.

Eventually Lyla pulled away from the embrace, stepping back as she looked up at her older brother. "Alright, I will. Have fun!" She gave him a happy smile, her blonde hair shining golden in the sunlight as she turned to hurry back across the courtyard. Cole chuckled softly as he watched her disappear into the monastery, after carefully avoiding the tray of tea supplies on the steps and closing the doors behind her.

Then he turned to look back at Sensei Wu, who was watching him. The ninja master smiled as his blue eyes met Cole's brown ones. "Are you ready to get started?" He questioned, taking a step back as he gestured toward the training course that was set up close by. The raven-haired boy nodded with a small smile, heading over to start with a couple simpler exercises before he would attempt to run through the course.

He was able to get through the exercises without too much trouble, and felt like he did a decent job on them. If Sensei Wu thought otherwise, it was hard to tell. The ninja master's expression was one of attentiveness, his face not betraying his thoughts about how well his student was doing. It was enough to make Cole nervous, but he pushed through and kept going, trying his hardest. Weeks of training had made him more agile, and much stronger. He'd already come a long way from his awkward, clumsy first attempts at the training course not that long ago.

When the time came for him to attempt the course again, Cole waited for Wu's signal to begin. He was tense, ready to move as he watched the ninja master sit down on the steps leading into the courtyard. Then he looked over at the raven-haired boy with a nod, and Cole dashed forward with a surprising burst of speed. There was a determined look on his face as he hurried through the course. Hopping over the planks, dodging a sword that was suddenly swung at him, avoiding the dummy that threatened to crash into him, all motions that had once been unfamiliar. He'd gotten better at anticipating the obstacles, and was getting faster at avoiding them as he hurried through the course.

Refusing to let anything distract him, Cole ignored all other things that were happening, even avoiding any glances over at Sensei Wu as he drank his tea on the monastery steps while the raven-haired boy continued through the training course. He tried his hardest, using all of the skills he had and all of the strength that he'd built up over the hours that he'd spent training these last few weeks. And it paid off.

When he reached the end of the course, Cole came to a stop and straightened up, panting softly as he looked over at Sensei Wu. The ninja master set his cup down on the tray beside him on the steps, an unusually wide smile on his face. As he looked over at the exhausted ninja in training his blue eyes sparkled, and there was a look of happiness, perhaps pride on the ninja master's face. "You passed," he said simply.

For a moment Cole just stood there in shocked silence, hardly daring to believe it. Was it actually possible? But it was more impossible to believe that Sensei Wu was joking or teasing him. So it must be true. A wide grin spread across Cole's face, and he suddenly felt happier then he had for a long time. He'd finally done it. Though in the grand scheme of things finishing a training course wasn't that big of an accomplishment, in that moment, for Cole it was. This was something that he'd worked on for weeks, and all of his work had finally paid off.

/…/

"Do you feel any different after completing the training course?" Lyla's voice was soft and curious as she looked up at her brother from where she was seated on the ground, her crystal blue eyes just a few shades lighter than the sky above them. There was a bouquet of colorful flowers laid carefully in her lap, and the soft breeze that was blowing that afternoon had caused her blonde hair to become somewhat messy. The breeze rustled gently through the wildflowers and grasses surrounding them, and the sound of it was both familiar and soothing.

Cole looked up from the small pile of flowers in his own lap as Lyla spoke, a smile on his face as he pondered the answer to his sister's question. "Not really, I guess, if I think about it. I mean, I feel like I finally accomplished something, but at the same time _I_ don't feel any different, if that makes any sense." The raven-haired boy's fingers paused in their work on twisting together several flower stems, his brow furrowing slightly as he leaned down to inspect the small crown that had begun to take shape from the circle of flowers.

"I think I understand." Lyla carefully gathered the bouquet of flowers from her lap, holding it in one hand as she stood up with a smile. She wandered over to stand beside the rock that Cole was seated on, watching him work. The small smile on her face widened slightly as she looked back up at her older brother after several moments. "It looks great! You're really good at making flower crowns."

Her words made Cole chuckle, and he glanced back up again to give his sister a smile. "Thanks. I guess that's one thing I'm semi-skilled at doing, though I doubt it's very useful. I don't know why I keep agreeing to make them for you." He elbowed her playfully, and Lyla rolled her eyes before she elbowed him back. It wasn't hard enough to hurt, and the raven-haired boy just smiled as he shifted his position on the sunbathed rock. Surprisingly, it was a fairly comfortable rock, and after spending most of the day training it was nice to sit down for a bit.

He and Lyla had done some sparring once they'd eaten lunch, and after spending time training for a large portion of the afternoon, Cole had agreed to go out with her for a short walk. That "short walk" had eventually turned into spending time sitting and talking about the day in one of the fields out beyond the monastery late that afternoon. Sensei Wu still wasn't back yet, but it was likely that he would return soon. The field they were in was close to the path that lead to the monastery, and they were planning to head back before much more time passed.

Silence settled between the two siblings, Lyla content just to watch her brother work. Eventually Cole held up the finished flower crown, looking at his sister with a satisfied smile. "There. I think it's finished." The breeze had ruffled his black hair, some of it falling into his face, but that didn't hide the playful sparkle in his brown eyes. Before his sister could respond, he had dropped the flower crown onto her head.

She laughed softly, trying and failing to give Cole an irritated glare as she reached up to adjust the flower crown so that it was no longer in front of her face. "Thanks." The raven-haired boy nodded in response, smiling brightly as he looked over at his sister. He'd chosen to use mainly the blue and pink flowers that Lyla had picked to weave into the crown, and they really brought out her blue eyes. Cole was just about to compliment her on them when she suddenly hopped up from where she was leaning against the rock close beside him, looking excited. he glanced over at her curiously, asking what she had seen, and Lyla replied that she thought that she had heard Sensei Wu's voice.

Cole smiled and brushed the few remaining flowers from his lap before he hopped up from the rock he had been sitting on, offering Lyla a hand. "That would make sense, since he's probably on his way back by now. Here, you might be able to see him better if you stand on the rock." She smiled in response, murmuring a_ thank you _before she accepted his hand and carefully pulled herself up. The rock wasn't big enough for them both to stand on, so Cole waited patiently as he glanced up to watch his sister for a moment, just in case she fell.

Lyla had to hold a hand up to shield her eyes from the late afternoon sun as she looked off into the distance for several moments, but eventually she turned to look back at Cole once more. Her blue eyes were sparkling with excitement greater than he had seen in her for a long time, and there was a wide smile on her face. "You're right, I did see Sensei Wu! But guess what, there's someone else with him!"

"Really?" Cole asked, frowning in confusion. Lyla nodded eagerly, a smile still on her own face as she hopped down from the rock, and the raven-haired boy didn't correct his sister for not being careful, instead quickly climbed up onto the rock to take a look. He too had to hold a hand up to shield his eyes as he squinted, looking off into the distance. After a moment he could make out two figures on the path ahead, and there was no doubt that one of them was Sensei Wu. But Cole's attention was drawn to the person walking close beside the ninja master, a boy with auburn hair that looked about his age, wearing a faded blue shirt and carrying a bag that was slung over one of his shoulders.

A wide grin spread across Cole's face as it finally hit him: this was one of the other students. Suddenly filled with a sense of excitement and hope that he couldn't explain, the raven-haired boy hopped down and off of the rock as he turned to look at his sister. There was a smile still on Lyla's face as the two of them gathered together the few things that they had brought with them, then hurried off down the path.

/…/

_Thank you all for sticking with me through all of my craziness and lack of a consistent writing schedule these last few months, you guys are amazing and I'm so grateful to have you as my readers! The amount of support that I've already gotten for this story, even though it's barely started yet, is incredible, and I certainly wasn't expecting it! I'm so happy to finally be able to share my Ninjago fanfic with all of you, it's going to be a crazy ride for sure but I'm super excited to continue writing! Throughout the upcoming chapters Cole and Lyla will be able to meet the other ninja and things will start moving toward the pilot episodes, then continue on throughout the next few seasons! If you have any thoughts, questions, hopes, or predictions about the story, please feel free to drop a comment or even message me! And if you're interested in supporting Emergence on another site you can find it on both Quotev and Wattpad. Thank you again for all of your support, keep being the amazing people you are! _

_~ArtisticNinja _


	9. chapter seven

_balance of light and darkness book one : emergence_

_chapter seven : the boy from the junkyard_

_written by : artisticninja_

_words : 6,682_

_/…/_

Jay Walker was an introvert, at least that's what he called himself. He was also an inventor, though most of his inventions didn't seem to work most of the time. He was better at model building and tinkering, and was actually quite good at fixing a large variety of things. Living in a junkyard, he had always found plenty of things to work with, whether he used them for one of his inventions, or just tried taking them apart to see how they worked. He was also a fairly good cook, at least for someone who liked eating fast food most of the time. His mom was insistent that he learned to cook at least _some _things himself, and that being able to make a healthy home-cooked meal was an important life skill to have, and under her watchful eye he had become a surprisingly decent cook. And he also dabbled in poetry, though he wasn't great at it.

Most of Jay's life was spent helping his parents out around the junkyard or running errands, and when he wasn't helping with things or spending time with them, he spent most of his free time playing video games, watching action movies, or reading comics. He'd had a fairly simple life, though he often longed for some sort of excitement. There weren't a lot of other kids that lived near the Walker's trailer in the junkyard, and most of the ones that did either ignored Jay completely or teased him. They often made fun of the fact that he lived in a junkyard, or his name, and pretty much anything else that they could think of. That was one of the main reasons that Jay preferred to keep to himself and stay at the junkyard, hiding his insecurities and occasional loneliness behind his most current invention or a comic book.

But one day when Jay had been out in Ninjago City testing a glider of sorts, he had crashed into a sign after the sixth failed test run, but to his surprise he then stumbled upon an incredible opportunity. An old man had been seated on the rooftop of the building that he had fallen onto, calmly drinking tea, before he looked up at Jay with a smile as he began to speak. He then invited the auburn-haired boy to join him as he attempted to build the impossible, and had later revealed that he had the potential to become part of something bigger. Of an adventure.

Jay had almost immediately said yes, and the older man had seemed pleased by his response. He had then given him instructions to return to the same place tomorrow afternoon, with whatever things he would like to bring with him to last several months. Just as Jay had gathered the broken pieces of his invention together and was turning back to thank the man for his invitation, he had vanished. Feeling confused as well as excited, the auburn-haired boy had quickly returned home and explained everything to his parents. Surprisingly, they hadn't needed much convincing to let him go, but had just told him to be careful, to try and have a good time, and to be himself no matter what happened.

That was how he had ended up here on the faded and dusty path that wove through the countryside and several fields and meadows, with an excited spring in his step and a heavy blue duffel bag slung over his shoulder as he walked beside the man that had introduced himself as Sensei Wu. The afternoon sun was high overhead as the two continued their journey, and silence settled between them, though Jay's excitement regarding the day's events, as well as his curiosity about what could be coming, was almost like electricity sparking through the air around him, invisible, but an almost infectious energy. This was quite possibly the most exciting thing that had ever happened to him.

Wu was the exact opposite of course, calm and collected, and seemed to be in no hurry to get to wherever it was they were going. Every now and then he would look at the auburn-haired boy beside him, a soft smile on his face and an amused twinkle in his gentle blue eyes. He hadn't answered many of Jay's questions, at least not yet, and the answers that he_ had_ given weren't very helpful or informative. The older man had said that while they were on the way he would explain where it was that they were going, but so far he had made no move to begin his explanation, and Jay was beginning to feel just a little bit impatient. But he didn't want to just bombard the older man with questions, so he waited.

Perhaps that was what Wu wanted, maybe this was some kind of test to prove that he was worthy of whatever quest he would be sent on, or perhaps just to test his patience. That thought cheered Jay up a little, and he was able to remain quiet for several more moments, trying to imagine that he was setting off on some adventure to save the world. Or perhaps just Ninjago, at the very most. Despite Jay's great gift of imagination, he was unable to come up with a reason why the older man had chosen him, just a simple boy from a junkyard, to be part in whatever he was doing. Some of his excitement faded, replaced by a sense of nervousness. Was he qualified for whatever task he was about to undertake? What if Wu had made a mistake, and this was all just a big misunderstanding? Maybe there was someone else that should-

"I'm sure that you are wondering why I have invited you to join me." Sensei Wu's soft voice startled Jay out of his thoughts, and the auburn-haired boy shook his head slightly as he attempted to clear his mind, suddenly crashing back to reality. He nodded, chuckling nervously as he turned his attention back to the older man beside him, trying to gather together his scattered thoughts and give Wu his full attention.

"Uh, yeah! I was wondering...that." Jay replied with a sheepish smile, fidgeting with the strap of his blue duffel bag while he ran his other hand through his hair self-consciously. He couldn't help but feel that whatever Wu was about to tell him, it was likely something that was important, something that could change his life forever. Junkyard boy or not, qualified for the task or not, he'd accepted the older man's offer to go along with whatever this was, and there was no turning back now. That thought scared him, even though he still felt excited at the same time.

Almost as if he sensed Jay's nervousness and fear, Sensei Wu gave him a reassuring smile. He looked down at Jay and as their blue eyes met, the auburn-haired boy suddenly felt a bit calmer, and somehow less scared of whatever the older man was about to tell him. A more relaxed smile settled onto his face as they continued to walk down the faded path, the sun shining warmly on them both as Wu began to speak.

"I have introduced myself as Sensei Wu, but other than that I have not told you much else, whether about the part that you will have to play, or about myself. I am a ninja master, and have mastered the art of Spinjitzu, while I am also one of the few remaining Elemental Masters. After many years I have finally come to the decision to train several gifted students to become part of a new generation of ninja and Elemental Masters, to whom I will pass on my skills. They will train to become masters of Spinjitzu, as well as Ninjago's protectors, and will fight to preserve the balance of light and darkness, good and evil. The things that hold together the very existence not just of Ninjago, but of life itself."

This was one of the few moments that Jay found himself speechless, the list of other such moments being quite short. No matter what mood he was in or how he felt, he could almost always come up with something to say that would go with the occasion. He'd also inherited his parent's sense of humor, and it came in quite handy with coming up with witty retorts and replies to things. But in this particular moment, he couldn't bring himself to say anything, he was so captivated by what Sensei Wu was telling him. It sounded like something out of a story. Generations of ninja, the ancient art of... whatever that was called, people called Elemental Masters, a sensei growing old and deciding to train several students to follow in his footsteps and save the world, it all sounded like something that would have come out of an adventure story.

Jay was so caught up in what Sensei Wu was saying that he lost track of anything else but the story and his thoughts, until something suddenly occurred to him. Something that was both thrilling and terrifying all at the same time. Sensei Wu had said that there was a part for him to play in all of this. Had he meant that Jay would have a part to play in the whole 'fighting to preserve the balance' thing? Like, as one of his students? One of the students that he was going to train _as a __ninja_? He'd asked Jay to help him as he attempted to build the impossible, this certainly _seemed _pretty impossible. Though at the same time, it almost sounded like something that would happen in a circumstance like this. A young boy that didn't seem to fit in with everyone else, who longed for adventure and wanted to do more than just the simple tasks that he had to perform, and was suddenly visited by an old man who promised him the chance to become something much more. Did he really have the potential to become a ninja? One that would learn various skills and would be tasked with the protection of his homeland from corruption?

With those thoughts now running through his head, Jay found himself lost in a sense of excitement and hope. He tried to imagine what could be ahead of him, what things he would learn on this fateful day. Only then though, did he realize that Sensei Wu had stopped talking several moments ago, and was now looking at him with a expression of amusement. Jay immediately felt his face heat up, a light blush dusting his freckled cheeks as he realized that he'd gotten carried away with his thoughts again. He quickly squeaked out an apology, wishing all the while that he wasn't such a distracted person. This was a terrible first expression, no, second impression for Sensei Wu to have of him.

"It's alright, Jay. I simply noticed that you had gotten distracted, and wanted to be sure that you were listening when I spoke to you again," was the ninja master's calm response, as he gave the auburn-haired boy another gentle smile, his blue eyes kind. The ninja master didn't seem annoyed, or even bothered by the fact that while he was talking Jay had gotten distracted, and he was grateful for that. Though he'd only known Sensei Wu for a short period of time, he had already discovered that the older man was both wise, willing to give his instructions but also kind. There was an aura of leadership, wisdom, and calm that surrounded the ninja master, and Jay already had great respect for him. This time when he began speaking again, the auburn-haired boy gave his full attention to the ninja master as they continued their journey.

"I'm sure that you are wondering what all of this has to do with you, and what part you have to play. You may not realize it, but you are a very gifted and talented person, and you have great potential. Potential that needs to be unlocked over time, as a result of hard work and training, and I have made the decision to help you discover it." Sensei Wu paused for a moment to glance over at Jay, who was still walking by his side. The auburn-haired boy was silent, attentive as he listened to what the ninja master was saying. His blue eyes were wide, and there was an awed expression on his face. He no longer seemed distracted with his own thoughts, just captivated by what was being said. That caused a small smile to appear on Wu's face, and he turned to look back at the faded path in front of them both as he began talking once more.

"You have the opportunity to become one of the students that will train under my teaching to master Spinjitzu, if you should choose to accept the opportunity. It will not be easy work, there will be many challenges and tests that you will face as you train to become a ninja, and are eventually entrusted with the task of protecting Ninjago. You will also have to learn to work with the other students, to train with them and develop a close relationship that will help you to be stronger together as you work together. You will be expected to learn to work well as a team, to dedicate yourself to your training and to work hard even when it's difficult. It will not be easy, but the results will be rewarding."

Sensei Wu paused once more as he looked back at Jay again, as if searching for some sort of response from him. But what sort of response would be appropriate for this kind of opportunity that he'd been gifted? What should he say? The auburn-haired boy's mind was spinning, as he tried to wrap his head around everything. "Are you sure you're talking to the right person?" He blurted out, looking up at the ninja master questioningly. "I'm just a boy from a junkyard who can't even get simple inventions to work, how could I be the right person that you're looking for to become a ninja? I can't do anything, let alone ninja stuff. What do you see in me that seems so spectacular and promising?"

"I see in you great potential, one that you cannot seem to see yourself. You tend to let what others have told you shape the way that you view yourself, instead of embracing the things that make you different from everyone else and becoming your own person. You have many gifts and talents that you could use to serve and help many others, and deep down you have a kind and caring heart, regardless of what anyone has said about you. I want to help you realize your importance, the part that you will have to play, and to help you discover your true potential."

The ninja master's words surprised Jay, having heard nothing like them spoken to him before. His parents had always said that he would do great things one day, and deep down he'd always been scared that he wouldn't, but he had always hoped that he would make them proud one day. But no one had ever spoken to him like Sensei Wu had, and what amazed Jay was how much the ninja master seemed to know about him, and seemed to understand him better than almost anyone else. It was strange how only a few sentences had given Jay a sense of happiness, a sense of hope, and a sense of belonging that he had never felt before. Maybe what Sensei Wu had said was true, maybe he really did have the potential to become a ninja. Maybe this could be the opportunity, the adventure that he had been longing for all of his life.

"I'm ready." Jay was surprised by how quickly he'd spoken those two words, and how easy it was to say them. But they were true, he was ready. No matter what was in store for him in the future. He looked up and into Sensei Wu's blue eyes with confidence, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I don't know why you picked me, out of all the people in Ninjago, but I feel honored to have been chosen." These words were spoken more softly, but with the same amount of confidence and filled with meaning. "I accept the opportunity to begin training as a ninja."

"Excellent." Sensei Wu returned Jay's smile with one of his own, his blue eyes twinkling warmly. He seemed pleased by Jay's answer. It was strange to think that now he wasn't just _a _sensei, but he was _Jay's _sensei. And a sensei to the other students as well. That made him suddenly feel excited, and he found himself wondering what the rest of Wu's students were like. Perhaps they were more like him, simple, ordinary seeming people that were different from everyone else. Or perhaps they were different, and already great ninja material. Unlike him.

But whatever they were like, they would be his fellow students and teammates. They would have to work together as a team and train together like Sensei Wu had said, and maybe they would eventually become friends. Jay was cheered by that thought, and promised himself that whatever they were like, he would do his best to be friendly to them from the beginning, and try to and be himself. Very few people had been given the opportunity to see Jay as he really was and get to know him well, but maybe things would be different with the other students. Maybe they would develop a close bond throughout the time that they spent training, and perhaps even one day become good friends.

The warm afternoon sun shone brightly overhead as Jay and Sensei Wu continued to make their way down the path. The auburn-haired boy was quiet for most of the way, content with thinking to himself about a large number of things. His faded blue duffel bag was kept slung over one shoulder, and was occasionally switched to the other one when the bag got too heavy. The scenery was beautiful, green and lush and full of color and life, and Jay was captivated by the things he saw around him. He hadn't lived in Ninjago city, just close outside it for as far back as he could remember, but he and his parents had spent a decent amount of time in the city when they weren't out in the junkyard, but they had very rarely gone far enough from the city that they found places like this, with grassy meadows, fields, occasional trees, and wildflowers.

Though Jay wasn't used to such a quiet, peaceful looking place like this that was both beautiful and breathtaking, it was refreshing and an amazing experience to be able to be out here. He could get used to living somewhere like this, and was hopeful that wherever they were going was somewhere nearby. While they walked and Jay was lost in his thoughts, Sensei Wu also remained quiet, his gaze wandering back and forth from the path in front of them as well as the beautiful scenery around them. He must have walked this way many times before, yet even if he had he still seemed to not tire of the view. The ninja master's expression was relaxed, and there was a small smile on his face as he walked.

The peaceful silence that had settled between them didn't last much longer though, as Sensei Wu's attention was suddenly drawn to something ahead of them that caused the smile on his face to widen. Jay, his mind wandering to thoughts of ninja training and what it could entail, wasn't aware of this. But when Wu spoke to him moments later, he quickly turned his attention back to the ninja master beside him. "It appears that there are some people who are eager to meet you." The older man was still smiling as he noticed the auburn-haired boy's confused expression, then gestured to the path in front of them. When Jay looked in the direction that the ninja master had pointed out, he was surprised to see that there were two others not too far ahead of them, a tall boy with dark hair and a smaller girl with blonde hair.

It was hard to tell from how far ahead they were, but they both looked about his age. For a moment Jay puzzled over what Sensei Wu had said, but then he realized that these must be some of the other students, and his blue eyes lit up as a spark of excitement coursed through him. A wide smile spread across his face and he quickened his pace a little as he continued down the path, eager to meet the others even despite the unworthiness and nervousness that he had been feeling earlier. The older boy waved to them in greeting, and though Jay wasn't sure whether the greeting was directed at him or Sensei Wu, he still found himself waving back. The black-haired boy smiled a little as he looked over in Jay's direction, and the shorter girl walking beside them waved to the auburn-haired boy with a smile as the two quickened their own pace.

Though it felt much longer than it actually was, only several moments passed before the two groups met at the center of the pathway, and Jay found himself still smiling widely as he studied the other students. Up closer the boy was taller than he was, with black hair and chocolate brown eyes. His skin was a little darker than the girl's, and he appeared to be quite strong, with broad shoulders and a body fit and strengthened from hours of training. He couldn't be much older than Jay was, though he looked mature for his age, and while some others might at a first glance call him intimidating, his relaxed posture and the small grin on his face seemed to indicate otherwise.

The girl looked several years younger than he was, and was likely just a year or two younger than Jay. She wasn't much shorter than him either, with crystal blue eyes and golden blonde hair, atop which a crown of flowers sat. Her skin was tan, likely from time spent out in the sun, but was a little bit paler than the boy's. She was standing close to his side, which likely indicated a close bond between them. She looked kind, and like the boy she also looked mature for her age, though there was still an almost childish excitement sparkling in her eyes and a smile on her face as she looked over at Jay. She was the one who spoke first, taking a step toward him with a welcoming smile and a cheerful _hello._

The auburn-haired boy's own smile widened slightly as she spoke, and he looked down at her as their blue eyes met for a moment. "Hey!" he greeted, surprised to find that he wasn't as nervous as he thought he'd be. "You must be some of the other students, it's nice to meet you. I'm Jay by the way, Jay Walker." He couldn't help but wonder what they thought about his name, and if they would tease him about it at all.

But the raven-haired boy just smiled in response, taking a small step closer to the other boy. "That's a cool name, your parents must have a good sense of humor." He held out a hand for Jay to shake, and he did so with a smile. The other boy's grip was firm, but he eventually released Jay's hand and stepped back again. "Nice to meet you. I'm Cole Brookstone, that's my sister Lyla." He gestured to the younger girl close to his side with a small smile, then looked back at Jay, who was studying them curiously. They didn't look much alike, at least at first, but that explained the strong bond that the two of them seemed to have. Jay had lost track of how many times he'd wished that he had a sibling.

"Thanks, and they do," he quickly replied. "That's where I've gotten my sense of humor, they always say. It was pretty much passed on to me at birth. It comes in pretty handy when you're stuck working in a junkyard most of the day with no one else to talk to and little to amuse yourself with." Lyla laughed softly as Jay spoke, and a small grin had begun to form on Cole's face, his dark brown eyes flickering with amusement.

"So, you're from a junkyard, huh? Sounds fun." The raven-haired boy chuckled softly, glancing at his sister once more before he looked back at Jay with a grin. "It actually sounds more boring than fun. I wish our life had been more a little bit more boring. Lyla and I were pretty much on our own for a couple years, and we later ended up getting sent to a boarding school once she was old enough, though we eventually ended up running away once Sensei Wu offered me the chance to become a ninja. You're only the second student that he's picked up so far, there haven't been any others yet. My sister actually isn't a ninja in training, she just came along with me since there was nowhere else for her to go."

Jay's blue eyes widened as he gazed over at the siblings in amazement. "Woah, that's actually kinda cool. Not that you guys were on your own, and that you had to run away from the boarding school and stuff is cool, but the fact that you've practically been on an adventure already. I wish my life was that interesting. I've just been living in a junkyard with my parents my whole life, nothing exciting has happened until now."

"I guess you're right, it has been quite an adventure, though it hasn't always been fun." Lyla smiled a tiny bit, tucking a stray piece of blonde hair behind her ear as she looked up at Jay. "I'm sure you'll get to go on more adventures now that you're going to be training as a ninja. But I bet living in a junkyard could be fun too sometimes. What kinds of things did you like to do there for fun, or when you had free time?"

Jay smiled a little as she spoke, while Cole and Wu just listened intently at the moment, remaining quiet. No one had said anything about moving on yet, though they had all begun to continue walking slowly down the path, heading off to wherever it was they were going. He'd forgotten to ask that. But they were probably going to a monastery or something, or maybe another place where they would practice fighting and train. But Lyla's question brought Jay's mind back to the present, and a wide smile formed on his face as he thought of an answer for her.

"Well, when I wasn't helping my parents with stuff around the junkyard, or cleaning things or doing chores, I did have a couple things that I liked doing. I love reading comics and playing video games, and sent a lot of time doing that, but I have a couple hobbies too, I guess. I do a little inventing, a dabble in model building, a touch of cooking, a bit of poetry..." He trailed off with a grin when he heard a snicker from Cole's direction, and looked over to see that the other boy was looking at him with amusement, his dark brown eyes glistening mischievously.

"Sounds to me like you have a lot of skills, Jay Walker, and not just the potential to become a ninja. I'm sure you're good at fixing and creating stuff, and that you can provide some variety to our conversations with humor and poetry, and I'm sure that Lyla will enjoy your help in the kitchen." Cole's words brought a smile to Jay's lips, much to his surprise, and he found himself chuckling softly in response. Unlike the other teasing that he had occasionally encountered, this was more playful, less hurtful, and the kind that he might expect from an older brother.

"You can laugh about it now," He replied, unable to stop the wide grin that was spreading across his face. "But in the future while you're lifting weights and trying to impress all the girls, I'll be the one who doesn't need to work hard to impress them, with my charming personality and sense of humor, as well as my lengthy list of accomplishments. And in the end, it will probably be my poetry that really wins their hearts."

Cole's sudden outburst of laughter startled Jay, and seemed to catch even Sensei Wu off guard. Lyla was smiling widely as she did her best not to laugh, though she was failing at that as she glanced between Jay and her brother. The auburn-haired boy felt himself laughing too, and was surprised by how good it felt to laugh. All of the remaining tension, all of the nervousness that he'd previously felt had begun to melt away, replaced by a sense of warmth, and of belonging. He already wanted to be a part of this small group, and to have a place here with them.

"You know, at first I wasn't sure what kind of students Sensei would be bringing together, and if we would get along or not, but I think that you'll fit right in in no time. A school runway and a junkyard boy, two seemingly ordinary kids destined for greatness." Cole gave Jay a wide smile as he leaned over to playfully pat him on the back, and the auburn-haired boy returned the gesture, a happy grin on his own face.

/…/

Cole and Jay spent most of the trip back to the monastery talking about a wide variety of things. Lyla chimed in every now and then or spoke if one of them asked her a question or needed her opinion, but other than that she was content to stay silent, either walking up beside Sensei Wu or falling just behind the small group as she gazed around at the meadows surrounding them. The sun continued its journey toward the west as they made their way along the path, but eventually they made it back to the monastery and began their ascent up the stone steps.

After having already spent a few weeks at the monastery, it was strange to try and picture it from Jay's point of view, and to recall how excited she had been while she and Cole first climbed these steps not that long ago. It felt strange to be here with Jay now, and Lyla couldn't help but wonder how many new students would make their way up to the monastery, following these same stone steps as they began their own journeys. How much more time would they spend here? Would they one day be called to leave the monastery and start another adventure?

"So, uh... how many more steps until we reach the top, and get to... wherever it is we're going?" Jay's voice shook Lyla out of her thoughts, and she glanced back at the auburn-haired boy walking just behind her, still carrying the blue duffel bag and looking a little tired as he stayed close beside Cole. The raven-haired boy didn't appear tired at all, and he had a wide smile on his face as he turned to look at the other boy.

"What, you're giving up already?" He questioned, his dark brown eyes sparkling with mischief and amusement. Lyla bit her lip to keep back a smile, knowing that look all too well. "One of the first things I learned," Cole continued, "is that a ninja never quits. If you can't even make it up the monastery steps without getting winded, then you're going to have a heck of a time getting through the first few months of ninja training."

Jay let out a soft _humph _of irritation, giving the taller boy at his side a small glare. "I am not giving up, I was just asking how many more steps there are because I'm bored. Even if I happened to be getting tired, it would be for an acceptable reason, as I have been walking for almost the entire day. I'll have you know that I am perfectly capable of getting up a bunch of stone steps, even if they are incredibly long."

Cole chuckled softly as the auburn-haired boy spoke, and he glanced up at the rapidly-approaching monastery walls above them before he turned to look back at Jay. "Sounds to me like you're getting tired. But lucky for you, we're rapidly approaching our destination. I hope we have dinner planned, because I'm starving. You probably are too come to think of it, since you've been walking for 'almost the entire day.'"

Jay sighed loudly and shifted his duffel bag to the other shoulder again, keeping his gaze on the steps ahead of them. "Okay, maybe I exaggerated just a little bit. But it doesn't really matter. I'm sure that we'll all be glad to get up there." He paused for a moment, turning his attention to the older man ahead of them. "Sensei, will I get to start training tomorrow? Or are you going to have me start tonight?"

The ninja master glanced over at Lyla, who was walking at his side, and gave her a small smile before he spoke to Jay as they made their way up the stone steps. "You will begin training first thing tomorrow morning. First, there are several small tests that I want you to go through."

"Oh great, tests. I'm good at those," Jay said sarcastically, though he perked up a bit as he played with the strap of his bag. "What kind of tests? Are they super difficult?" Suddenly he sounded uncertain, worried. "Maybe I'm not qualified for them. I'm good at some kinds of tests, well, at least I think I am, but I can't do any ninja stuff. What if I don't pass? What happens to me if I fail?" He asked frantically, blue eyes wide.

Sensei Wu stopped for a moment, turning to face Jay as they reached the top of the steps, the monastery doors just behind him. The auburn-haired boy was anxiously clutching the strap of his duffel bag as if it was his only source of hope as he gazed up at Wu. "Relax, Jay." The ninja master's tone was gentle as he gave the boy in front of him a small smile. "Though the tests might seem difficult, they are actually quite simple, and I am more interested in watching you go through the exercises that I have planned, and finding what skills you have and what things you have yet to learn, rather than making you complete a few tasks and do them well before you are permitted to begin training."

As Sensei Wu spoke, Jay's shoulders immediately relaxed, his body becoming much less tense as he loosened his death grip on the duffel bag's strap. "Well... that's a relief." He chuckled awkwardly, straightening up as he studied the monastery doors in front of them with an optimistic smile. Attempting to help put him more at ease, Cole smiled widely as he leaned over to playfully shove the auburn-haired boy in the shoulder.

"It'll be fine, don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll do great. Although, if your first test is anything like mine was, I'd love to be there to see your face when he springs it on you." The look of nervousness that had faded from Jay's face when Cole started speaking had returned, this time mixed with confusion as the last sentence was spoken. The auburn-haired boy opened his mouth as if he was going to ask a question, but that was when Sensei Wu opened the doors, and Cole quickly looked ahead with an innocent expression, a small mischievous smirk on his lips.

Lyla chuckled softly as she glanced back and noticed the expression on her brother's face, also noticing how Jay seemed to be both annoyed and amused by what Cole had said. As Sensei Wu stepped through the doors leading to the courtyard and ushered the three behind him to follow, they quickly obeyed and walked silently inside. While Jay looked around in amazement, studying their surroundings in the fading daylight with an awed expression, the ninja master continued leading the way to the monastery, stopping once they reached the steps.

He turned to give the others behind him a small smile, before nodding slightly as he turned to look at Jay. "I'm sure that you are tired from your travels, so I will not require much of you tonight. Cole will take you to your room, where you may put your bag, then he will show you around the monastery and help you to become more familiar with the place." Sensei Wu smiled a little as he watched the two boys glancing at each other with a smile, excitement evident on both of their faces. Before they could run off though, he quickly gave them one last parting instruction. "Dinner should be ready in an hour at the most, and I expect you both to be there, on time, when we are sitting down to eat."

"We'll be there Sensei." Cole assured him with a smile, quickly prompting a nod of agreement from Jay. The ninja master smiled a little more in response, nodding once more before turning and heading into the monastery, leaving the others on the steps. Once he'd gone, Cole turned his attention to his younger sister, who had begun to start heading in as well. "See you later, Lya. Don't have too much fun without us."

"I won't." She smiled happily, her blue eyes sparkling as she turned back to face her brother. He was standing close by Jay's side, and the two of them had nearly identical grins on their faces and a relaxed posture that indicated how they were at ease with each other. 'Don't have too much fun without _us', _Cole had said, and it was amazing the amount of meaning that simple sentence held. Lyla wondered if she was supposed to feel jealous of how well the two boys seemed to be getting along so far, how quickly signs of friendship had begun to appear in the mere hour or so that they'd known each other. But she didn't feel jealous, instead felt incredibly happy as she watched the two of them together.

They headed off for a quick tour of the monastery, laughing and talking as they left, and Lyla was struck by the thought of how much they both needed a friendship like this. She'd been alone with her brother for the last few years, and he'd spent so much time taking care of her and so many other things, that he hadn't really had time to develop a friendship with anyone, and he hadn't seemed to fit in with the other boys.

Jay hadn't mentioned any friends, and it seemed like he hadn't had many, if any, over the course of his lifetime. But both he and Cole seemed to have immediately connected with each other, and it made her so happy to see them together. Even if it meant that Cole would be spending less time with her as spent time with Jay, and the two of them focused on their ninja training and protecting Ninjago, Lyla knew she and her brother would always have an incredibly strong bond, no matter what, and it was encouraging to see that he had finally found a friend.

/…/

_You finally made it to the end of the chapter, thank you for sticking with me until the end of it! This chapter was definitely a long one and a lot happened throughout it, but it was so much fun to write! Jay is such an awesome character and his relationship with Cole is one of the best friendships of all times, I've really enjoyed being able to write about these characters as I develop their story. Pretty soon I'll be able to add in the rest of the characters and start getting into the pilot episodes, which will be super exciting! So much happens to them throughout these next few years, and the amount of adventures and character development that they'll go through is amazing! I have so much planned for all of them, and it's really neat to be able to start writing these early chapters with their futures in mind. Thank you all for the incredible amount of support you've given me so far, it's been such an encouragement and I really feel like I've already grown so much in my writing skills as I work through this story. I certainly wasn't expecting to get this amount of support when I first started planning things. You guys are amazing, thank you so much! _

_~ ArtisticNinja_


End file.
